The competition «Access City Award 2017», an European prize for cities that are accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly, opened yesterday, June 1 by the European Commission.

The prize will be awarded to cities that make efforts to facilitate the access of people with disabilities and elderly people to public and private areas, such as housing facilities, leisure areas, work environments, public transport and communications technologies.

The award is part of the wider EU efforts to create a Europe without barriers. There are about 80 million people with disabilities in the EU. Also, because of the EU’s aging population, this number will increase.

Prizes will be awarded in five EU cities during the annual conference as part of the European Day of people with disabilities which will be held in Brussels on the 29th of November, 2016

Eligible participants: EU cities with over 50,000 inhabitants

Deadline: 8 September 2016

Learn more: ec.europa.eu/social