Access4you International has won the 2023 Social Innovations Award from the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities. Each submitted practice was assessed for its innovativeness and the level of implementation of the UN CRPD. This award is an important acknowledgement that reliable and detailed accessibility information provided by Access4you answers a global need of both people with accessibility needs and businesses.

To recognize and applaud innovative European social practices that are promoting the implementation of the UN CRPD, the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) launched the 3rd edition of its Innovation Award in 2023, this year focusing on social innovation. A jury of international experts assessed the submitted practices.

„It is an important international validation of our mission and work to be acknowledged by a prestigious European association. I firmly believe that the first step in the (re)integration of people with disabilities and their participation in the community is accessibility and reliable, detailed information about it. Without that, none of the further efforts to support inclusion can be realized therefore, it is beneficial for both business and society,” said Balázs Berecz, CEO and Founder of Access4you, who has been a wheelchair user for 15 years.

Reliable and detailed accessibility information helps people living with mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive disabilities and their families plan ahead when they want to visit an unfamiliar location and businesses to understand their venues’ level of inclusion and how they can improve it. However, accessibility information doesn’t benefit only disabled people, but all: people with strollers, the elderly with limited mobility, individuals with temporary disabilities due to an accident or surgery or even those carrying heavy luggage.

The access4you® international certification mark ensures that this information is certified by independent experts, therefore, the quickly available 3rd party data can support companies’ social endeavours within ESG reporting, increase their property’s value, and elevate their brand with real social impact.

Renaud Scheuer, Head of Knowledge and Innovation at EASPD, said about Access4you: „If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. At EASPD, we strive to apply this principle, which is why we value cooperation and peer-learning. Access4You’s work is an ideal example of a practice that can inspire others.”

Access4you became a member of EASPD in 2023 after beginning its international expansion in 2022. In addition to Hungary, it already works in the Czech Republic, Romania, and India with the help of an accredited partner network but has assessed locations in 23 countries already.

Access4you is proud to be one of the winners of EASPD’s Social Innovation 2023 Award next to such outstanding practices of Enable from Scotland, SV – Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan from Sweden, e-Nable from Greece, Shekulo Tov Group from Israel, and Hubbie from Belgium.

„We congratulate all winners and every company who applied for the Award. I believe it is not us who won but the society,” said Balázs Berecz.

EASPD is the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities and represents over 20,000 support services for persons with disabilities across Europe. They promote equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality service systems. It is currently one of the most important international organisations in the field of disability. They have members from the 47 European countries.