Smart walking canes, design contests and multi-accessible information points are just some of the innovations under development by the eight foundations participating in the League of Historical and Accessible Cities, the first-ever operational project of the European Foundation Centre (EFC). At a meeting in Turin on 16 and 17 June, participants in the League shared their progress on developing 1km tourist itineraries for people with disabilities in five European cities: Avila (Spain), Mulhouse (France), Lucca (Italy), Turin (Italy) and Viborg (Denmark).

Established in 2010 within the European Consortium of Foundations on Human Rights and Disability, the League aims to reconcile accessibility with cultural heritage, which is no easy feat considering how highly prized and protected historical cities and buildings are in Europe. This is the one of the biggest challenges in Europe regarding accessibility and an important field for the foundation sector to engage in, believes Maria Orejas-Chantelot, who coordinates the League at the EFC. ‘But we believe that it is possible to reconcile the stones’ rights with the rights of people. It is a question of being a bit innovative and creative.’

In its first phase (ending in 2012), eight  foundations have teamed up with local authorities, disabilities groups, architects and town planning experts to design itineraries of a minimum of 1km in length through which people with all types of disabilities can visit shops, restaurants, museums and other key tourist attractions of the cities in question. Based on these experiences, the League aims to develop a common methodology and best practice guide to help other foundations and their partners interested in implementing a similar project in historical cities elsewhere in Europe.

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