Cities across the European Union are invited to apply for the Access City Award 2027, a prestigious initiative that recognises outstanding efforts to make urban life more accessible for persons with disabilities.

Submissions are open until 4 September 12:30 PM CEST.

Organised by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Disability Forum, the award has celebrated accessible cities since 2010, highlighting local authorities that are removing barriers and promoting inclusion in areas such as transport, public spaces, housing, digital services, and community participation.

Finalist cities will be invited to attend the award ceremony in Brussels on 4 December 2026, which will take place during the annual European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference.

The winning cities will receive financial support to continue advancing accessibility initiatives. The prizes for the 2027 edition are:

• EUR 150,000 for first place
• EUR 120,000 for second place
• EUR 80,000 for third place

In addition to the main awards, the jury may grant Special Mentions to cities that demonstrate exceptional achievements in specific accessibility areas or introduce innovative approaches to inclusion.

For the 2027 edition, the European Commission plans to present a Special Mention to a city that promotes local services enabling persons with disabilities to live independently, remain connected to their communities, and avoid unnecessary institutionalisation.

More information and instructions on how to participate.  Rules of contest Source: European Commission

Experts and accessibility organizations are urging that people with disabilities play an active role in the design, evaluation, and improvement of mobility services, ensuring that solutions genuinely meet their needs. The call was made during the European event Advancing Accessibility in Transport, held in Dublin and organized by the European Accessibility Center, AccessibleEU.

Opening the event, Jesús Hernández Galán, director of AccessibleEU, stressed that accessibility must be embedded across every stage of the transport system—from infrastructure and vehicle planning to the development of digital tools and professional training. He emphasized that meaningful progress will only be achieved if public authorities, companies, universities, and civil society organizations work together in a coordinated way.

Participants explored international trends in accessible mobility, discussing technological innovation, interoperability, digital accessibility, and the challenges of cross-border travel.

They also agreed on the importance of strengthening strategic cooperation among operators, industry, and civil society.

The meeting included a dedicated session on the state of accessibility in Ireland, where authorities and service providers shared recent progress and future priorities. Speakers also highlighted the importance of incorporating the direct experiences of people with disabilities into decision making, ensuring that mobility solutions truly support autonomy and inclusion.

Source: Europa Press

The European Central Bank and Fundación ONCE have joined forces to ensure that the future digital euro application is accessible and easy to use for all persons, particularly those with disabilities, advanced age, or with little digital experience.

Fundación ONCE will provide advice on accessibility requirements, take part in the application’s design, and conduct testing with the first prototypes to verify that the features are genuinely usable.

The ECB wants accessibility to be part of the project from the very beginning, rather than added afterwards. This is why it is adopting an accessibility‑by‑design approach, aiming to exceed the minimum legal requirements set out in the European Accessibility Act and to go beyond common market standards.

The institution considers digital financial inclusion to be an essential component of the digital euro. For this reason, it is incorporating citizens’ perspectives into the process.

Source: Fundación ONCE

AccessibleEU has organised a workshop on emergency preparedness within the framework of the Zero Project Conference 2026, which will explore how accessible technologies can support inclusive emergency preparedness and response.

The event will bring together international leading experts, innovators, policymakers, and disability rights advocates. Its aim is to discuss how accessible digital solutions can enhance inclusive emergency responses in situations such as environmental disasters, armed conflicts, and migration crises, among others.

The session will also address the lived experiences of persons with disabilities in such scenarios and will encourage cross‑sector collaboration.

The workshop will take place on 18 February 2026, from 16:30 to 19:30 (CET), during the Zero Project Conference, held at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). English captioning and International Sign interpretation will be available.

The event is hybrid and free of charge. Access the agenda and registration form.

Fuente: AccessibleEU

Many European countries, despite having signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, still deny persons with intellectual disabilities their rights, says the Inclusion Indicators report published by Inclusion Europe.

According to the report, 14 countries continue to remove the legal capacity of persons with intellectual disabilities, preventing them from making decisions about their own lives. A further 15 countries allow legal capacity to be partially removed without providing supported decision-making mechanisms.

Additionally, in 13 countries persons with intellectual disabilities may lose their right to vote when their legal capacity is withdrawn, and in 14 countries they are prevented from standing as candidates in elections.

Only 4 countries fully respect the right to make decisions with appropriate support, and just 5 countries have elected representatives with intellectual disabilities.

Another finding of the study is that institutionalisation remains widespread across Europe. At least 1.1 million persons with disabilities live in large, segregated institutions. Another 350,000 persons live in smaller care homes, 270,000 of whom are citizens of European Union Member States.

Furthermore, 37,000 persons with intellectual disabilities are placed in psychiatric hospitals. Although at least 7 countries have closed institutions this year, institutionalisation remains deeply entrenched.

Housing and support options for these individuals continue to be extremely limited, as do employment opportunities. Those working in protected employment programmes earn below the minimum wage.

Source: AccessibleEU

The Spanish National Police has opened a nationwide accessibility office that will promote universal accessibility in all areas of police work. The creation of this office follows a commitment to comply with the rights of persons with disabilities.

The office also serves as an observatory that will bring together the institution’s resources and actions related to staff training and assistance to citizens with disabilities.

This initiative is part of a plan called in Spanish Policía Nacional Incluye (National Police Includes) which aims to remove barriers that hinder the rights of people with disabilities and of others in need of special protection.

More information about the services offered by the Spanish National Police’s accessibility office (in Spanish only). Original source in Spanish.