Winning cities of the 2016 Access City Award: Milan Italy’s second city, famous for high fashion, culture and football, is also the country’s biggest industrial centre. Milan’s commitment to accessibility goes above and beyond what is required by Italian and European law. Its building standards not only support accessibility and usability but they also promote Universal Design Standards. There is a high level of accessibility across most means of transportation with two of the city’s four metro lines fully compliant for disabled people. The Lombardy capital has worked to involve people with disabilities and older people in supporting the municipality’s ambitious plan to eliminate barriers across the city. Milan has also committed to projects to promote the employment of people with disabilities and for supporting independent living. Today we reward Milan for its long-term commitment to accessibility. It wins First Prize in the EU Access City Award, not only for the impressive efforts it has made in the past, but also for its ambitious plans for the future.
