The Valuable 500, a community of Global CEOs with accessibility as its goal, recently released results of a survey they say names the 10 most accessible global cities.
With 3,500 respondents, the top 10 are as follows:
- Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Las Vegas (NV)
- New York (USA)
- Orlando (USA)
- Paris (France)
- Shanghai (China)
- London (UK)
- Singapore (Singapore)
- Sydney (Australia)
- Tokyo (Japan)
“Although physical accessibility is important, what’s so significant is that across all territories people with disabilities choose travel providers based on being treated with respect and understanding of their needs,” said Martin Heng, who wrote the report.
Our Take:
While some of these make sense given the sheer volume of visitors, some are surprising. Places like Singapore with its pristine sidewalks and modern transport infrastructure make sense, while New York City’s scale, archaic subway system, and sidewalk lips can make it a difficult city for some travelers with limited mobility. Also, mainland China at large is wholly inhospitable to disabled travelers and citizens alike and foreigners at large; therefore, we do not recognize Shanghai as a destination. From this list, we recommend Las Vegas, Orlando, and Amsterdam due to their walkability in main tourist areas and attractions that go to great lengths to achieve enhanced Travability.
You can read the report here.