Travel can provide memories that will last a lifetime, but it can be difficult to navigate for those with disabilities. According to EuroNews.Travel, an estimated 1 billion people worldwide are living with a disability. So for the travel industry, it’s important to ensure that travelers with disabilities can move throughout foreign cities, airports, train stations and public transport with ease.
A September 2022 survey from business collective seeking to end disability exclusion, Valuable 500, has revealed a list of most accessible cities according to responses from participants from the United Kingdom, United States, Japan, China and Australia.
Reports from EuroNews find that cities were ranked based upon transport, accommodation proximity to attractions, shops, restaurants and general availability of information about accessibility.
The list of most accessible cities is as follows.
- Amsterdam
- Las Vegas
- London
- New York
- Orlando
- Paris
- Shanghai
- Singapore
- Sydney
- Tokyo
Overview:
In the Netherlands accessibility is a high priority, as the country places a great deal of importance on non-discriminatory practices. The survey found that a majority of Amsterdam’s main attractions are accessible with the exception of one or two, and also has an inclusive transportation system.
Other cities are accessible in unique ways, but are still lacking in some areas. For example, Las Vegas is known to offer many accessible hotel rooms in its accommodations, while New York has a network of kiosks called Link-NYC which offers free Wifi, phone calling services and accessible maps of the city. However, cities like New York, London and Paris are infamous for their troubling metro systems, only a fraction of which have accessible entrances.
Some cities still developing developing their infrastructure, such as Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, have built in accessible features in their metro and public transport systems in recent years. Making them favorites amongst those with physical disabilities. Sydney, Australia is “a favorite for wheelchair users as the vast majority of its attractions are wheelchair accessible.”