Case Study . The city of Ávila, Spain .

1. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL Case Study. Thecity of Ávila, Spain.

2. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL Fundación ONCE was formed from the Organización Nacional de Ciegos de España ONCE (the Spanish National Organisation for the Blind). 1938 In 1988, ONCE decided to set up the ONCE Foundation for Cooperation and Inclusion Of PeopleWith Disabilities, a non profit organisation which aims at contributing to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.  MISSION • to contribute to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. • to achieve the full integration of people with disabilities launching, or cooperating in, programmes aimed at enhancing professional integration, training and employment. • to promote global accessibility through the elimination of all types of barriers, incorporating Global Accessibility, Design for All and Self-Sufficiency principles.

3. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • Vía Libre , is a company part of the business Fundosa Grupo (generating and managing employment for people with disabilities), belonging to ONCE FOUNDATION. • Objetives • Contribute to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through the elimination of all types of barriers • Incorporate Global Accessibility, Design for All and Self-Sufficiency. • Our team of professionals includes 200 experts and specialists - ranging from architects and engineers to occupational therapists, sociologists, Ortho-Prosthetic technicians, all the way to Braille and subtitling transcribers. Most of them are people with disability (over 80% of the company’s personnel), which entitles Vía Libre with the category of special employment center, and allows the company to bring into a project their knowledge, experience and sensitivity concerning accessibility, which is in fact their most valuable cornerstone.

4. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL ÁVILA, EUROPEAN ACCESSIBLE CITY 2011

5. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL 3.000 ft 1.500 ft 0 ft • With an altitude of over 3,000 feet, • Ávila is the highest city in Spain. • Due to its strategic location, it was a fortress town during the medieval period, and it still represents one of the finest surviving examples of a completely walled medieval town in Europe. • Ávila was declared a Historic-Artistic Ensemble in 1982 and a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1985. • The extremely rich cultural and historic heritage of the city reflects a wide variety of cultural influences - Celtic, Roman, Arabic and Christian. • The imposing walls that encircle the city (2,500 meters long, 12 meters high and 3 meters thick in places, with nine gates and 88 towers) are among the best preserved in Europe and an excellent example of medieval architecture. They are also considered the most iconic landmark of the city.

6. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • The city also holds an impressive Cathedral, which is considered to be the first Gothic cathedral in Spain. • As an historic city in a mountainous region, Ávila has had to overcome particular geographic and cultural challenges in order to achieve good levels of accessibility for people with disabilities. • In spite of the difficulties, several monuments (including the walls, the San Vicente church, the Monastery of Santo Tomas or the Cathedral) were recently made fully accessible. • As a pioneer in introducing the analysis of accessibility in artistic and historical heritage, in 2010 the city was awarded with the European Commission Award for Accessible Cities.

7. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL 1. Accessibility to the built environment and public spaces. Work carried out in the streets adheres to the “Special Action Plan for Accessibility in Avila”, drawn up in 2002.   Improvements to accessibility have been made in all the municipal installations, with the removal of barriers and installation of Assistive products The regulations in force at autonomous region level on accessibility have been applied both in the construction of new municipal buildings and in the refurbishing for public and municipal use of heritage buildings. The City Council has also taken action on accessibility matters with regard to other privately owned historical buildings. The operations carried out have been backed up by the advisory services of the Municipal Office for Accessibility and in some cases with the sponsorship of the ACS Foundation, through a programme for the removal of barriers in historic buildings. For cultural activities and other events organized by the City Council, the Council carries out one-off adaptations to allow all persons to attend and enjoy the event.

8. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL 2. Accessibility to transportation and related infrastructures. With regard to transport, Avila City Council has signed various collaboration agreements with the IMSERSO (the Institute for the Elderly and Social Services) and the ONCE Foundation (National Organization for the Spanish Blind), to extend the Accessible Taxi service in our city. One of the licence applications put through the City Council was approved free of charge to guarantee the continued availability of this service. Grant to IMSERSO and FEMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) for the acquisition of accessible public transport. All these vehicles have an access ramp. The railway station has been adapted for the needs of the disabled, with improvement to the access points and communications systems. In the upcoming months building work will start on a new bus station which will meet the requirements of universal access. To enable transport and mobility, disabled parking spaces have been provided for persons of reduced mobility, both in public places and for private individuals.

9. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • 3. Accessibility to information and communication, including information and communication technologies. • The Municipal Office for Accessibility Department of Accessible and Social Tourism is working to turn the city of Avila into an accessible place to visit. Actions to be highlighted: • Services provided: • Restaurant menus in Braille. • Awarding of International Accessibility Symbol. • Wheelchair loan. • Organization of guided visits for the disabled. • Accessible points for tourist information. • Touch models of the city walls.

10. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • Publications: • Guide to the city’s Accessible Resources. • Leaflets with recommendations on how to make hotels, restaurants, historic buildings and cultural areas accessible. • Tourist city map showing parking spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility. • Leaflet "Customer services, all-inclusive services". • Informational leaflet on hearing loop systems. • Universal Accessibility to Heritage Sites,Workshops.

11. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • Information and awareness-raising activities: • Participation in national and international meetings, courses and workshops. • Organization of various Universal Accessibility Workshops.

12. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL • 4. Accessibility to public facilities and services. • Issue of parking disks for people with reduced mobility. • Public transport card for disabled persons. • Entertainment, riding therapy and water activity workshops for disabled children and young people. • Free use of municipal swimming pools for various associations and people with 65% or greater certified disability. • Collective agreement with Federación de Personas Sordas de Castilla y León, the Castile-León Federation for the Deaf, to make a Sign Language Interpreter service available. • Grants towards programmes to encourage the employment of disabled people.. • Grants to maintain offices for associations of the disabled and towards the assignment of land, space and housing for the development of the habitual work of these associations. • Four Social Action Centres providing the following services: • Home delivery meals service. • Home help. • Home tele-assistance. • Relief service for persons and families with dependants. • Day centres.

13. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL

14. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL The League of Historical and Accessiblecities. • Pilot project of the European Consortium of Foundations on Human Rights and Disability, which brings together foundations active in the field of disability or human rights interested in promoting the effective ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. • Its main aim is to improve the accessibility of historical towns promoting at the same time sustainable tourism development and the protection of cultural heritage. • The main purposes of the project are: • To put forward innovative accessibility solutions which allow people with disabilities to fully enjoy cultural and historical heritage • To foster tourism and the social development of the city • To develop pilot projects that can serve as an inspiration for other foundations, local authorities and stakeholders • To serve as a hub for exchange of best practices and know-how • To lead by example, raise awareness,  stimulate ideas and invite others to act

15. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL The League of Historical and Accessiblecities. • This project is being carried out by a group of foundations led by the European Foundation Centre and ONCE Foundation. • They are working together in the form of a Consortium to actively contribution towards mobilizing the foundation sector. • All of the foundations involved are working in partnership with the local authorities of the historical town of their choice: • Fondazione Banca Monte di Lucca with Lucca (Italy) • Fondazione Casa Respado di Trorino with Turin (Italy) • Fondation Réunica with Mulhouse (France) • Realdania Foundation, Bevica Foundation, The Danish Disability Foundation and The Labour Market Holiday Fund with Viborg (Denmark) • Fundación ONCE with Avila (Spain)

16. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL The League of Historical and Accessiblecities. Vía Libre has contributed to create: • an accessible itinerary of approximately 1km in length. • Defined the main areas of action of the LHAC project. • Established a common methodology to be adopted by all members, • Identified minimal requirements for an itinerary to be approved as accessible, as well as the main accessibility criteria to be considered while developing the itinerary at a local level. • This project will conclude towards the end of the year. • Common element. Protected heritage city centers; buildings, facades, streets, etc. • The future of this project implement the necessary solutions to provide accessible itineraries.

17. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL CONCLUSION • Accessibility is not a need, but a right, for everyone. • Creating an environment that is not accessible and then turning it into accessible is by far more expensive and less functional. • Accessibility should be core to future tourism developments; creating inclusive environments is an intelligent investment, creating environments and services that are limited to customers is not.

18. ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS: ÁVILA. FEBRUARY 10, 2012, INSTANBUL Thank you. www.fundaciononce.es www.vialibre.es