Blog post by Victoria Biber, EDF Board Member and responsible for EU and International Affairs at the Austrian Disability Council
Vienna, a city celebrated worldwide for its exceptional quality of life, has recently been honoured with the prestigious Access City Award, recognising its commitment to accessibility and inclusion. But what is the value of an accessible city without the personal assistance needed to truly experience it? Accessibility alone is not enough to ensure social and equal participation. For many persons with disabilities in Vienna, reality paints a different picture.
Vienna’s Award and its Challenges
Coincidentally, on the very same day that Vienna won the Access City Award in Brussels, the Austrian Disability Council held a press conference in Vienna to draw attention to the city’s failure to join the national directive on harmonising personal assistance.
This directive, created in 2023, aims to establish a nationwide, fair, and unified system to access personal assistance, with the expectation that all nine federal states in Austria would join. Yet, despite months of negotiations, a previous general commitment to the agreement, and the promise of 52 million euros in federal funding, Vienna’s city government inexplicably refused to sign the agreement in November 2024 for reasons that remain unclear to us, causing the planned entry into force on 1 January 2025, to be cancelled.
This decision means that, in Vienna, only persons with physical disabilities are entitled to personal assistance, while persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, or sensory impairments remain excluded. Furthermore, the precarious working conditions of personal assistants, many of whom are forced into pseudo-self-employment due to insufficient hourly rates, remain unchanged.
The Need for Personal Assistance
Independent living is a fundamental right enshrined in Art 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Austria in 2008. At the core of this right is the provision of personal assistance. Vienna had the chance to adopt the directive on harmonizing personal assistance, which would have provided persons with disabilities greater opportunities for self-determination. Regrettably, the city´s political leadership decided not to take this important step.
The Demonstration on 6 December 6, 2024
On 6 December 2024, activists, advocates, and allies gathered in front of Vienna’s City Hall to demand action for residents with disabilities. The demonstration highlighted the city’s failure to provide essential assistance. Protesters, holding signs like “Independent Living for All” and “Personal Assistance Now,” called for adopting the directive on harmonising personal assistance. Speakers highlighted the significant challenges and hardships caused by the lack of adequate assistance, emphasising its impact on daily lives. The event was a powerful call for systemic change and immediate action towards the city government.
The message was clear: Vienna must take immediate steps to ensure the right to independent living for all its residents.
Beyond the Access City Award: A Call for true Inclusion and Action
The demonstration was a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination of the disability community. However, the fight for independent living is far from over. As Vienna reflects on its international reputation as a progressive city, it must confront the reality of its shortcomings in disability rights.
Now is the time for action. Policymakers, advocates, and citizens must work together to ensure that independent living is not just a privilege for a few but a guaranteed right for all. Personal assistance is not a matter of convenience; it is a cornerstone of equality and equal participation in society.
Vienna’s situation underscores a fundamental truth: Accessibility cannot simply be a badge of honour to be worn proudly. It must be integrated into the core of the city, addressing not only physical barriers but also the deeper, systemic barriers that hinder true inclusion.
To truly embody the spirit of the Access City Award, Vienna must look beyond superficial recognition and confront the harsh reality of exclusion faced by many of its residents with disabilities. Only then can the city genuinely claim to be accessible — not only in terms of physical space but also in offering the comprehensive assistance necessary for all inhabitants to live independently.