EUROPE'S PIONEERS IN DISABLED ACCESSIBILITY: A REVIEW OF LUXEMBOURG, LAGUNA AND SKELLEFTEÅ CITIES

Abstract

The concept of accessibility is considered an important cornerstone of contemporary society's vision of an inclusive, fair and barrier-free world. Basically, this concept is defined as facilitating access to all kinds of information, services, products or places for individuals from all segments of society, not just the disabled, without encountering obstacles, and making this access as barrier-free as possible for people who encounter obstacles. In this context, the concept of accessibility is a critical element to ensure equal participation and integration of all members of society, especially disabled individuals, into social life. The barrier-free city has an important role in the implementation of the concept of accessibility. These cities are considered as pioneering places that aim to raise the standard of living of every individual and, accordingly, ensure equality and inclusiveness in physical, social and information access.

This study is based on the "Access City Award" competition organized by the European Union Commission for the cities of the member countries since 2010. The aim of the study is to examine in detail the practices of the cities of Luxembourg, La Laguna and Skellefteå regarding accessibility. In this study, the document analysis method was preferred. Document analysis is a research method that involves detailed examination of written documents to examine a specific topic. These cities, known as Europe's pioneers, have made urban life more accessible by developing exemplary policies and practices for disabled people. By focusing on the successes of these cities, the study encourages other cities to build a sustainable and inclusive future by adopting similar approaches.