Awards 2015 At Lisbon, Portugal
Svayam Accessibility Awards were instituted on 25 October 2010 to promote and recognize the concept of Accessibility & Universal Design in all spheres of our lives to make way for livable communities – in both rural & urban scapes. The awards are conferred on the organizations in the TRANSED hosting nation, that have shown consistent commitment towards providing accessible infrastructure for all. These awards play a pivotal role in providing the right impetus to the development of inclusive infrastructure, related policies & practices so that such initiatives are sustainable and meaningful.
Svayam Accessibility Awards 2015 ceremony were held on 30 July 2015 at Lisbon, Portugal on the sidelines of 14th International Conference on Mobility & Transportation for the Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED Conference, 2015). The Awards were given away by Ms. Sminu Jindal, Founder – Svayam during the official Gala Dinner ceremony of TRANSED 2015.
Best Practice by a Municipality for 'Accessible Itinerary System (SIA)'
Institute of Transportation (IOT), Ministry of
Transportation and Communications (MOTC),
Taiwan
Best Practice by a Municipality for 'Lisbon Accessible Pedestrian Plan'.
Mr. João Afonso, Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Lisbon Municipality.
Best Practice by an NGO for promoting inclusive tourism through website.
Mr. Salvador Mendes de Almeida
Award Committee 2015
More About Award People
Best Practice by a Municipality for their Project 'Accessible Itinerary System (SIA)'. The award was received by Arch. Ms. Lia Ferreira, Ombudswoman of Porto Municipality.
Citation:
Porto City Hall, through its Municipal Ombudsman for Citizens with Disabilities, successfully implemented this 'Best Practice' project titled 'Accessible Itineraries System (SIA) Porto' - portal that comes to help all the citizens, specially the ones with reduced mobility, optimizing itineraries that meet their needs.
The project maps the city, identifies the barriers to seamless & accessible mobility on city routes and addresses them with active citizen's participation. In short, the project allows online consultation of optimized routes for accessibility (through map consultation), digitally calculated between two previously chosen points giving information not only about paths but also intermodal transportation connectivity, accessibility of important public buildings & spaces.
The project has been implemented with active partners like Associação de Surdos do Porto (ASP), Associação de Cegos e Amblíopes do Porto (ACAPO), Associação do Porto de Paralisia Cerebral (APPC) and Associação dos Deficientes das Forças Armadas (ADFA), plus Porto's Metro and FEUP (Porto's Engineering University).
Best Practice by a Municipality for their Project 'Lisbon Accessible Pedestrian Plan'. The award was received by Mr. João Afonso, Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Lisbon Municipality.
Citation:
Porto City Hall, through its Municipal Ombudsman for Citizens with Disabilities, successfully implemented this 'Best Practice' project titled 'Accessible Itineraries System (SIA) Porto' - portal that comes to help all the citizens, specially the ones with reduced mobility, optimizing itineraries that meet their needs.
The project maps the city, identifies the barriers to seamless & accessible mobility on city routes and addresses them with active citizen's participation. In short, the project allows online consultation of optimized routes for accessibility (through map consultation), digitally calculated between two previously chosen points giving information not only about paths but also intermodal transportation connectivity, accessibility of important public buildings & spaces.
The project has been implemented with active partners like Associação de Surdos do Porto (ASP), Associação de Cegos e Amblíopes do Porto (ACAPO), Associação do Porto de Paralisia Cerebral (APPC) and Associação dos Deficientes das Forças Armadas (ADFA), plus Porto's Metro and FEUP (Porto's Engineering University).
The Plan has three overarching goals:
- Prevent the creation of new barriers;
- Progressively adapt existing buildings;
- Mobilize the community to create a city for everyone.
Instead of budgeting & addressing all infrastructural barriers in one go, the Plan defines an effort rate. Every year the City will invest 3% of public works budget in the adaptation of public spaces (e.g. sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, etc.) and public buildings (elementary schools, museums and libraries, public markets, etc.). And it hopes to address most barriers by 2017 as per the current plan. Community participation is considered as a key. A high value is put on the collection of quantitative and qualitative data on the needs, difficulties and preferences of persons with disabilities and the elderly population. This project creates a safe, accessible and free of obstacles route for all pedestrians.
