Open, universal, navigable. Accessible cities have many characteristics, but above all they must be inclusive. We explore the best in Europe, where citizens with disabilities can enjoy their rights and freedoms.
Fear — one of the greatest obstacles for people with disabilities living in cities — is a topic that rarely gets discussed, according to David Meere, a blind resident of Melbourne, Australia, speaking to the British newspaper The Guardian. "The fear of going to crowded and chaotic places: this is one of the main barriers to participation in everyday life." A testimony that reminds us that the obstacles to accessibility and inclusion — and therefore to social sustainability — are not only physical but also psychological.
By 2050, of the 6.25 billion people in the world who will be living in cities, 15 per cent — 940 million — will be disabled, according to United Nations estimates. It is therefore essential that inclusion and accessibility be integrated into all urban planning and management processes, given the very high urbanisation rates projected over the coming decades. An aspiration that may seem difficult to achieve in the case of many European cities conceived and built in antiquity; think of historic centres where streets are narrow and paving is uneven. In reality, many cities across Europe — both ancient and modern — are proving the opposite.
For example, Chester in England is celebrated for its circuit along the ancient Roman, Saxon and medieval walls known as the "Rows", which has been made accessible even for those with greater difficulty navigating physical barriers, thanks to the installation of ramps, a lift and escalators. In 2017 it became the first city in the United Kingdom to receive the Access city award, the prize awarded each year to the most accessible city in the European Union, now in its tenth edition, won by the Polish capital Warsaw following the triumph of Breda, in the Netherlands, the previous year. "Many people think Breda won because it is the most accessible city in Europe, but that's not the case," explains Marcel Van Den Muijsenberg, a volunteer working with the municipality on disability issues. "We have already done a great deal, but there is still much more to do."
What characteristics must an accessible city have, then? There are several dimensions to consider — infrastructure, transport, access to information — but the starting point is that they are interconnected and that at the heart of each lies the value of social inclusion, for example in the sphere of work. A person with a disability can find employment only if they are able to get to the workplace, which must be suitably structured, and if they have access to the necessary information, such as that concerning rights and protections.
Among the best practices in this regard, we can cite Lyon in France, winner of the Access City Award 2018, where disabled public officials make up almost eight per cent of the total, compared to the minimum legal threshold of six per cent, while Gothenburg, which earned the European recognition in 2014, provides 300 personal assistants to as many disabled workers every year. An example of inclusion in access to culture and recreational activities is Borås, the 2015 winner, where the library, theatre, art museum, cultural centre and even the zoo have been made fully accessible.
Universal design is a key concept in improving access, safety, health and social participation for all citizens through the design of environments, goods, services and urban systems, at least according to the World report on disability by the WHO (World Health Organisation). It is also essential to assess the accessibility of infrastructure such as residential buildings. This is one of the reasons why Milan was recognised at European level in 2016. Among recent initiatives, we highlight the creation of Craba (Centro regionale per l'accessibilità e il benessere ambientale), supported by the Municipality, the association Ledha and Fondazione Cariplo, which provides free advice and technical assistance to remove architectural barriers in homes.
Moving around freely means participating in civic life independently. Without a suitable mobility system, people with disabilities cannot reach healthcare facilities, workplaces, educational institutions or social and leisure venues. In this regard, voluntary efforts are not enough — minimum mandatory requirements are needed, according to the WHO. These include the presence of access ramps, the ability to cross roads safely, accessible entrances to stations and public transport, the integration of all mobility systems and the establishment of dedicated transport systems such as accessible taxis.
Some European cities have made great strides. For example, all thirty stops on the Warsaw metro have been made accessible, as have the buses. In Breda, the new railway station, buses and stops are perfectly suited to users with disabilities, who can also use dedicated minibuses and electric wheelchairs, and consult useful information online and via app. The surface of the cobblestones in the historic centre has even been levelled so as not to constitute an obstacle for anyone.
Change begins with the approach one chooses to take: people described as disabled can be seen as being in need of protection and charity, or as citizens with equal rights and opportunities — the concept at the heart of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which entered into force in 2008 and has been ratified by 163 states. In these nations as in others, cities play an indispensable role in giving everyone the opportunity to exercise their freedom and autonomy. The problem is not the fact of being disabled, but that this may become a barrier to expressing one's full potential. The solution lies in placing everyone's needs on an equal footing — and if the starting point differs, that means making an effort to raise the bar a little higher than usual.