In News

New research released by the Valuable 500, which surveyed 3500 tourists with disabilities has revealed the top ten most accessible cities in the world, with England’s capital city, London making the list.

According to the research, respondents rated the accessibility of each city according to the transport links, proximity of accommodation to attractions, shops and restaurants and the accessibility information that is available. The findings were released as part of a wider research project by the Valuable 500 to explore travel barriers facing the disabled community. The research showed that London was the most accessible city in the UK and came out number 6 overall in the Top Ten, with many of the respondents crediting the accessible transport links as being part of their decision making process.

The survey showed that nearly half of those asked believed that London’s top attractions, shops and restaurants were in close proximity to accommodation options, 45% stated that information was easily accessible for disabled visitors and 48% said that the city’s attractions had good accessible features and support in place for visitors. However, the research did also highlight that crowds posed a problem for disabled visitors. The survey also showed that while London’s transport network is not fully accessible, positive steps, like the new step free platform routes on the tube network, are being taken and there is a reasonable amount of accessible information to be found around the city.

Speaking to the Independent about the survey, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted that London has been recognised as one of the most accessible cities in the world and I am particularly proud that disabled visitors have commended our world class transport network.”

Caroline Casey, Founder of the Valuable 500, said: “Worldwide, tourist boards still aren’t making the necessary headway to remove the physical and ethical barriers to ensure cities are truly accessible for all. Accessibility arrangements for people with disabilities remain an afterthought for the travel and tourism industry, which is why we’re looking into every aspect of the industry journey for people with disabilities in this body of research.”

The research itself states that “while no city can claim to be fully accessible, it is worth championing those who are making efforts in the right direction to cater for the wide-ranging and diverse needs of disabled travellers.”

The top ten accessible cities worldwide are:

Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Las Vegas (Nevada, USA)
New York (New York, USA)
Orlando (Florida, USA)
Paris (France)
Shanghai (China)
London (England, UK)
Singapore (Singapore)
Sydney (Australia)
Tokyo (Japan)

You can read the full report here.

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