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UN Tourism, AccessibleEU and San Marino unite good practices in accessible tourism in new compendium

Tourist couple, one wearing a prosthetic leg, consult a map

Jointly commissioned by UN Tourism, San Marino and the European Accessibility Resource Centre, “Advancing Accessible Tourism for Destinations, Companies, and People” is a conpendium of 25 good practices in accessibility championed by Belgium, Czechia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan. It provides insights into accessibility improvements in culture- and nature-based tourism, festivals and pilgrimage routes, urban and rural experiences, sports and mega events, shopping tourism and transportation.

The report was officially launched at the 2025 FITUR international tourism trade fair, where AccessibleEU and UN Tourism held a seminar.

The text is structured in five sections: Politics and strategic leadership by public administrations and international organisms; Accessible transport as a fundamental pillar of a seamless tourist experience; Universal design and innovation for a better access to culture and tourism experiences based on nature; Inlcusion in sports, leisure and events aimed at personal fulfillment and entrepreneurship; and Tourism companies that take advantage of the economic potential of universal accessibility.

To access the report, click here

Source: Accessibilitas

8th Discapnet Awards for Accessible Technologies, now accepting submissions

The 8th edition of ONCE Foundation’s Discapnet Awards for Accessible Technologies is now accepting submissions in four categories. The Awards recognize the best ICT-based initiatives and actions aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

Interested individuals and organizations can participate in the following categories:

Category A – Recognizes the best-ICT based product or service designed to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities. The nominated product or service must already be available in the market to qualify for this award.

Category B – Recognizes an individual, company, entity, or organization with an outstanding work trajectory within the field of accessible technologies.

Category C – Recognizes the best business venture project with greater social impact and a focus on improving the quality of life of people with disabilities through technology.

Category D – Recognizes media outlets with an outstanding work in disseminating information on accessible ICT-related initiatives, projects, products and services.

As in previous editions, winners will receive money prizes ranging between 5.000€ and 15.000€. Submissions will be reviewed by a jury carefully selected by Fundación ONCE.

Submissions are accepted in Spanish and English. Participants should complete the form corresponding to the category in which they are competing, available at the Discapnet Awards website.

Deadline is April 30, 2025.

Awards rules Source: Accessibilitas

AccessibleEU debates about the importance of making Higher Education accessible

Event's banner with text AccessibleEU European Event. Accessibility and Higher Education. Wednesday October 30, 2024.

AccessibleEU, in collaboration with the University of Porto, has organised Accessibility and Higher Education, where several experts will debate about the importance of making Higher Education accessible. The conference, which is taking place at the University of Porto next Wednesday, 30 October, aims to be a melting pot of ideas and innovation, bringing together a vibrant mix of university professors, students, administrative and service staff, researchers, and managers from inclusion service offices. Furthermore, it aspires to sketch out a European roadmap for the future, advocating for a holistic approach to ensure that accessibility in higher education not only meets current standards but also anticipates the needs and aspirations of the future. The event will take place at the University of Porto, next Wednesday, 30 October, from 9:00 to 17:30 WET. Fuente: AccessibleEU Centre

Second edition of AccessibleEU’s online course “Accessible Technology Design”. Registration open!

This year, the course introduces a module on cognitive accessibility. Registration is open.

The 2º edition of AccessibleEU’s online course introduces a new module on cognitive accessibility. Students will learn about how to apply accessibility requirements to make designs accessible to people with intellectual disabilities and people experiencing cognitive issues due to other causes.

This online course will teach the basics of universal accessibility in digital environments. Students will be able to:

Define accessibility and inclusive design as goals to achieve.
Understand the principles of Universal Design.
Distinguish the differences between legal and technical regulations.
Know the legislation and standards in force in Europe.
Understand that accessibility benefits every person and that it is a necessary objective.
Learn that the limitations are in the design and not in the person.
Learn about errors in design that cause exclusion.
Understand why multiple designs should be avoided for the sake of accessibility.
Learn about the principles of Cognitive Accessibility and why it is important.

Registration is already open on AccessibleEU’s online campus, and students will be able to access the course once it officially begins on 9 September. After that, they will be able to complete it at their own pace. The course has an estimated dedication time of 25 hours and it is imparted in English.

New module on cognitive accessibility

This new unit explains how to design for persons with intellectual disabilities. Students will learn about the different characteristics of this disability which will be used as basis to describe key design concepts and guidelines.

This module will also show how designing for intellectual disability can benefit people with other disorders such as cognitive decline or acquired brain injury. In fact, everyone can benefit from this type of design as it promotes easy understanding and communication.

Additionally, a description of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance criteria that positively impact persons with intellectual disabilities is provided.

Source: AccessibleEU

AccessibleEU publishes the guide Getting to know the European legislation on accessibility

AccessibleEU’s guide Getting to know the European legislation on accessibility is already available for viewing and downloading in all EU languages. The guide offers a compendium of the most relevant European legal acts with provisions regarding accessibility, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The goal is to inform readers of what is covered by the legislation and who are the actors responsible for implementing it. It can be downloaded free of charge from AccessibleEU website section Guidelines and support materials.

EDF releases its EU Law Enforcement Toolkit

The document clarifies which mechanisms is the most appropriate according to the circumstances. Since enforcement is a combined effort of both European and National bodies, it makes a distinction between these two administrative and judicial levels.

During the Assembly representatives from Ombudsman team, Equinet, National Equality Bodies and EDF will be explaining how these mechanisms work and support people with disabilities and their representatives.

The toolkit is available for downloading from EDF’s website.