By Alicia Williams
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No city can reasonably remove every barrier. Even places widely praised for accessibility can present obstacles due to neighbourhoods, mode of transportation, building, the disability or simply what happens on a particular day. For travellers, broad declarations that a destination is “accessible” rarely provide enough information to know what an actual visit will be like. A more useful question may be this: what are cities getting right?
Around the world, some are tackling individual parts of urban accessibility in ways that deserve closer attention. None has removed every barrier, but in the five cities we’ve selected, each shows how focused changes can make surroundings easier to navigate, use and enjoy.
Singapore is making accessibility part of the journey
What are they getting right? Public transportation
Being able to enter an accessible attraction means little to most people if the public transportation needed to get there is not accessible. Singapore has addressed that problem across much of its transport network. According to the country’s Land Transport Authority, all public buses and trains are wheelchair accessible, while all train stations and bus interchanges have barrier-free access routes. It reports that 98% of bus stops are also barrier-free, with the exceptions largely attributed to site constraints.
Buses have ramps for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, while train stations have lifts and, in some locations, features that reduce the gap between the train and platform. The system also includes measures to help passengers who are blind, have low vision, are Deaf or hard of hearing. For travellers, accessible public transport is about more than getting from place to place. It can make it easier to explore independently, keep travel costs down and allow them to make last-minute plans without worrying about whether transportation will work.
Barcelona, Spain understands that reaching the beach is not the same as enjoying it
What are they getting right? Beach enjoyment
Reaching the sand may be enough for some visitors. For others, access also means having the option to get into the water. Barcelona has worked to address both. The city’s beaches include accessible routes, adapted facilities, wooden walkways and bathing assistance. At beaches offering assisted bathing, support can include amphibious or hydraulic chairs, flotation devices and staff assistance getting into and out of the water. Recent improvements have also added accessible access points, signage and other upgrades to beach infrastructure. Accessibility should do more than help someone reach a place. Wherever possible, it should allow them to take part in the experience they came for in whatever way they can.
For coastal cities around the world, Barcelona raises an important question: what is access? Is it simply being able to reach the beach, or being able to enjoy a day there in the way that works for you?
Sydney, Australia is giving travellers better information about the route
What are they getting right? Accessibility information and independent navigation
A hotel may be accessible, and the restaurant may be too, but the streets, crossings and sidewalks in between can tell a very different story. The City of Sydney’s accessibility map acknowledges that reality by identifying both access features and potential barriers around the city. Users can locate features such as lifts, mobility parking, accessible toilets and taxi ranks, while also seeing potential obstacles including stairs and inclines.
One of its most useful features shows how physically demanding a journey may be. Local wheelchair users helped survey the routes, looking at factors such as slope, footpath condition and cross-slope. The city also notes that the level of difficulty can vary depending on the wheelchair user and whether power assistance is available. That gives travellers far more useful information than a simple wheelchair symbol.
Disabled travellers often need this kind of detail because a simple accessibility label rarely tells them what the journey will actually be like. Sydney’s map is not presented as complete or infallible. The city notes that some information comes from different sources and may change over time. But the approach highlights something important: useful accessibility information should describe the journey, not just the destination.
South Dublin, Ireland creating play spaces for everyone
What are they getting right? Inclusive play and public spaces
Accessibility is often discussed in relation to transportation, buildings and tourism attractions. However, South Dublin County in Ireland shows that accessibility also matters in the everyday public spaces people use, including neighbourhood parks.
The South Dublin County Council has adopted a universal design approach to playgrounds and play spaces, starting from the premise that disabled children should be able to play alongside other children rather than being directed towards separate equipment or segregated areas. The play spaces they’ve built include different types of terrain, natural features and areas designed with accessibility in mind. This earned them a special mention for landscape and playground areas in the 2024 European Access City Awards. Children with disabilities were among those consulted as South Dublin County Council developed and improved its play spaces.
There is a bigger lesson here. Accessibility works best when people are not separated into different spaces or given a different version of the same experience. The goal is for everyone to be able to take part together in the same community space. For families with disabled children, that difference can determine whether a park feels merely accommodating or genuinely welcoming.
Valencia, Spain is considering accessibility when things go wrong
What are they getting right? Emergency preparedness
Most conversations about accessible cities take place under normal circumstances but Valencia, Spain, has been looking at it from another perspective: what happens during an emergency?
The city received a special mention in the 2026 European Access City Awards for accessibility in emergency preparedness. Its Inclusive Territorial Municipal Emergency Plan incorporates accessibility into areas including emergency protocols, staff training, alerts and support for disabled people. Accessible emergency information includes sign language, easy-to-read material, pictograms and augmentative and alternative communication options. Valencia has also introduced direct SMS communication with local police and disability-focused emergency training for municipal staff and first responders, including specialised training for firefighters.
This may not be the first issue a traveller considers when choosing a destination, but it deserves far more attention than it receives.
During an evacuation, a wheelchair-accessible route may become unusable. A Deaf person may not hear an emergency announcement. Someone with an intellectual disability may need information presented differently. A blind traveller in an unfamiliar city may require assistance locating an alternative route when normal transportation stops operating. Accessibility cannot stop being a priority in emergency situations. Valencia is one example of how a city can address a specific gap. The same is true of the other places featured here.
Singapore, Barcelona, Sydney, South Dublin and Valencia are all making progress. None is fully accessible, and one successful initiative does not remove the barriers that still exist elsewhere. But progress can begin with small changes. Public transport can become easier to use. Beaches can offer real access to the water. Maps can give better information about routes. Playgrounds can be designed so children can take part together. Emergency systems can include people who might otherwise be left out. None of this creates a city without limits but each change can make life a little easier for both residents and visitors.