Barcelona stands out for its “universal accessibility”

The city of Barcelona has been recognized for its “universal accessibility” with two international awards such as the Access City Award of the European Commission, considered one of the highest European awards, for which the city was ranked third, as well there is the Zero Project, honoring the accessibility of the new trains of the public transportation company Transportes Metropolitanos de Barcelona (TMB).

 In light of the strong commitment of Barcelona to accessibility policies, the city is implementing several initiatives to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

At 97 years old, the Barcelona Metro network has 92% of accessible stations, as well as tactile paths to vending machines, accessible turnstiles, platforms, and SOS poles, with 100% accessibility expected by 2024.

In addition to accessible stations, the bus network is 100% accessible with first floor vehicles and acoustic information (on the bus and at bus stops) as well as vehicle identification in Braille. The special transport system for people with reduced mobility is also completely accessible.

A total of 76 innovative practices and policies from 35 countries have been recognized in the Zero Project 2022. There were 381 nominations from 86 countries, and 160 were pre-selected for evaluating innovations, impact and scalability.

With more than 2,000 votes, there were  only 76 winners selected with innovative policies and practices from all sectors of society, including the accessibility of the new Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) trains.

“The recognition of these two awards encourages us to continue working and be a reference”, defended the Councilor for Children, Youth and Elderly and People with Disabilities, Joan Ramon Riera, who has assured that the Catalan capital has been working to be an inclusive and accessible city for years.