EU Urban Mobility Observatory’s Post

🇦🇹 Vienna: Championing Accessibility and Human Rights, right in time for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities! 🌟   As we honour Tuesday’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we celebrate our partner City of Vienna – the 2025 #AccessCityAward winner - as a powerful example of how urban life can be made accessible and inclusive for everyone.    Here’s how Vienna is setting the standard:    🏞 Accessible Public Spaces️: Initiatives like accessible swimming pools and intelligent traffic lights empower independence while ensuring safety for all.    🚇 Inclusive Public Transport: With all metro stations and 95% of bus and tram stops accessible, Vienna uses low-floor vehicles, tactile guidance, and multisensory emergency systems to make mobility seamless.    🏛 Collaborative Policy️: The Inclusive Vienna 2030 Strategy actively involves organizations of persons with disabilities in shaping city decisions.    🏠 Housing Solutions: Support for housing and employment integration ensures accessible living spaces, emphasizing Vienna’s commitment to holistic accessibility. Accessibility benefits everyone but is indispensable for more than 100 million EU inhabitants. And it’s not just about removing barriers — It’s about making sure that no decision that will affect persons with disabilities is made without them.    Our RIGHTSCITIES team, including the cities of Gdańsk, Lund, Sopot, Utrecht, and Vienna, is exploring how the #EUCharter of human rights can be integrated into local governance. Together, we’re building tools, sharing best practices, and showcasing great examples, like Vienna’s accessibility initiatives, to inspire change.    💬 What about your city? We’d love to hear about new local initiatives or changes you’d like to see implemented at home.    👉 Follow RIGHTSCITIES for more examples of cities championing human rights. Together, we can build communities where everyone belongs. 💙    #RIGHTSCITIES #HumanRightsCities #CERV #EUFunded #UCLG #CityGovernance

Accessible transportation is vital for promoting inclusion and creating opportunities, as it enables over 1.3 billion people with disabilities to access jobs, education, and services. Universal design in transportation doesn’t just drive accessibility; it boosts business value, enhances rider satisfaction, and advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.    On this #International Day of Persons with Disabilities, explore 5 ways to make transportation more accessible and learn how embedding inclusion can transform communities 🌐 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dmjRMD5s #IFCInfrastructure #IFCTransport #IDPD Maria López Conde Flor Paniagua

We keep on introducing you to the topics of the "Inclusive City" course. This time, Masha Dubavitskaya from Miensk Urban Platform (Менская урбністычная платформа) talked about creating an accessible city for people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization, at this moment, 16% of the world's population has some form of disability. Adapting urban spaces for comfortable use is necessary to meet the needs of all citizens, but people with disabilities and special needs encounter the greatest number of obstacles and limitations. Here we will discuss what constitutes a comfortable environment and how to properly approach the issue of accessibility during its design. #moo_cud #community #cud

Accessibility is a fundamental right for all citizens ♿ This principle has guided us since the launch of the EU Access City Awards in 2010, where we celebrate cities that strive for inclusivity and accessibility. Here’s a look at the cities that received the award throughout the years: 2011: Ávila 🇪🇸 2012: Salzburg 🇦🇹 2013: Berlin 🇩🇪 2014: Gothenburg 🇸🇪 2015: Borås 🇸🇪 2016: Milan 🇮🇹 2017: Chester 🇬🇧 2018: Lyon 🇫🇷 2019: Breda 🇳🇱 2020: Warsaw 🇵🇱 2021: Jönköping 🇸🇪 2022: Luxembourg 🇱🇺 2023: Skellefteå 🇸🇪 2024: San Cristóbal de La Laguna 🇪🇸 Persons with disabilities deserve to live with dignity, supported by services that empower them to participate fully in society and the workforce. Our Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 aims to create environments where equal opportunities are guaranteed in all areas of life. ℹ️: https://europa.eu/!M9rvUu #UnionOfEquality #EUAccessCity

🤝 It has been a pleasure to support DG MOVE over the past two years in establishing the Network of Ambassadors for Diversity in Transport, together with Maria Rodrigues, Lucia Schlemmer, Antoine Martin, Inês Vassallo de Pinho, and Daniela Carvalho. 👩🦽➡️ In recognition of the international day of persons with disabilities, I’d like to share some diverse and complementary topics discussed during our most recent event: last week’s Network webinar focused on accessibility for people with disabilities, with inspiring contributions from Sandra Witzel, Diogo Martins, Stefania Pesavento MBA, Dorota G., and Filipa Corais. 📢 These included the importance of accessible physical and digital transport infrastructure, the need for inclusive design in emerging mobility services, and the often-overlooked impact of hidden disabilities on mobility habits and attitudes. Speakers also emphasised the significance of inclusive language and strategies for involving people with disabilities in transport planning. Looking ahead, it was suggested that future actions could include leveraging the Network’s geographic reach and the Ambassadors’ expertise to help draw attention to design flaws that limit the accessibility of key transport infrastructure across Europe. 👏 A huge shout-out to the Network for driving accessibility forward! #DiversityInTransport #Accessibility #InclusiveMobility #IDPD

Find out what was discussed on Global #Accessibility Awareness Day in the House of Lords on the challenges that #disabled people face, including barriers in online services, infrastructure that is physically inaccessible, and attitudinal barriers: https://zurl.co/BTLq #A11y

Another reason to strengthen the accessibility profession. Without a holistic understanding of inclusion and accessibility, non-accessible digital environments will continue to be deployed and the digital divide will increase. https://lnkd.in/gM4ZYHsv IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals

Did you know that nearly 80% of Africa's population relies on public transportation for their daily commute? However, for marginalized communities, such as individuals with disabilities, accessing these vital services can be a challenge. It is high time that we work towards creating a more inclusive transport landscape that caters to the diverse needs of all individuals. Here are four strategies that can help make public transport systems more accessible to marginalized communities: 1️⃣ Inclusive Infrastructure: Investing in infrastructure that is designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities is essential. By ensuring that buses, trains, trams, and subways are accessible, we create a strong foundation for an inclusive society. Let's make public transport a vehicle that everyone can comfortably and safely use. 2️⃣ Customized Services: Small adjustments can go a long way in enhancing the experience of persons with disabilities. Equipping public service vehicles with assistive devices, providing audio announcements, and making transport stops more accessible are simple yet effective measures that can ensure a seamless journey for everyone. 3️⃣ Sensitization and Training: It is vital to sensitize and train public service operators, such as drivers and conductors, on how to best assist individuals with disabilities. This not only enhances the overall experience but also guarantees the safety and comfort of all passengers. Let's create a culture of inclusivity on our public transport networks. 4️⃣ Infrastructure Adaptations: Building with resilience and adaptation in mind is crucial for creating an inclusive transport system. By considering the diverse needs of marginalized communities, including those with mobility impairments, we can ensure that no one is left behind. Let's build bridges that connect everyone! According to recent studies, a well-designed, accessible public transport system can boost productivity and economic growth by up to 7%. It is not only a matter of social justice but also of economic empowerment. Let's create transportation networks that leave no one behind and foster equality of opportunity for all. Join me in working towards a future where public transport is truly inclusive and accessible for everyone, regardless of ability or background. Together, we can make a difference and build a society where mobility is a right, not a privilege. #AccessibilityMatters #InclusiveTransport #SocialJustice [Statistics Source: World Bank] Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani LAMATA-NG Thompson O. O. fola tinubu Michael O Banjo CMILT Gboyega Olokunbola Ben Pullen

I’m on the Board of Arts OutWest, the regional arts development organisation (RADO) in the Central West of NSW, Australia. Recently, I have been doing my Board member duties and assisting in the creation of various plans in preparation for another government funding round. I worked solidly on the Accessibility plan (of which I’m proud) trying to address some of the many requirements and expectations of governments when it comes to inclusivity and accessibility as well as just what is right. During the creation of the plan, it became apparent that the various buildings and venues that are used by artists, creatives and audiences across the region simply don’t meet basic access requirements, but it also become very clear that there were no other options for spaces to use. It is one thing for governments who are based in cities to make broad plans to improve access but it is quite another when there is no plan or funding made available to address the infrastructural challenges that exist in regional communities. Local government authorities are under extraordinary pressures to deliver more and more for their communities especially when state governments keep off-loading responsibilities onto Councils but without the funding to do so (or the expectation that they then have to apply for funding from the state just so the state member can stand there with their big check and cheesy grin – don’t get me started!). Many buildings are old with heritage limitations on them etc. Adding in a lift or ramps or an accessible bathroom or hearing loop or changing the acoustics to suit are far from easy to do and far from cheap or quick to achieve. Serious investment in infrastructure from state and federal governments in the regions are well overdue if you want to impose access plans that can actually be delivered and improve the lives of people living with disability. Yesterday was International Day of People with Disability but everyday should highlight the fact that the world we have created is falling very short of being accessible and inclusive, and that we need to do better, think differently and place access at the centre of design for everything we do in life. #IDPwD #artsoutwest #rados #regionalartsnsw #access #inclusion #accessibility #governments Regional Arts Australia Arts OutWest Regional Arts NSW

BIG thanks to Maya Lorinda Struhar for teaching us about Deaf Urbanism and the role it can play in creating more inclusive cities. "As we look to the future, we must ask ourselves: How can we continue improving our urban environments? How can we leverage new technologies to enhance accessibility further? What policies need to be enacted to support more inclusive urban planning? Most importantly, how can we ensure that the voices of all community members, especially those with invisible disabilities, are included in the design process? By pondering these questions, we can strive towards a more inclusive and equitable urban future, where every individual, regardless of their sensory abilities, can navigate and enjoy the world around them with ease and dignity. In short, when we build in a way that is more accessible for some, it benefits us all." #DeafUrbanism #InclusiveDesign #UrbanDesign #CommunityPlanning #DissabilityPrideMonth #SensoryExperiences RDG Planning & Design https://lnkd.in/gezMRbih