The Assembly of Extremadura has hosted the handover ceremony Otaex 2017 Awards for Universal Accessibility in Extremadura, which has been chaired by the general secretary of Architecture, Housing and Consumer Policies of the Government of Extremadura, María Isabel Moreno; the general director of Architecture, María Ángeles López and the president of Apamex, Jesús Gumiel.
The winners in this edition have been the following: in Urban Planning and Environment, the Siruela City Council and the Nuestra Señora de Altagracia parish for improving the accessibility of the Nuestra Señora de Altagracia hermitage, and in Building, the Extremadura Youth Institute as owner of the Badajoz Puente Real Youth Center, at the proposal of Fedapas, and which is recognized for the numerous accessibility actions it were carried out in its adaptation as a young center.
For its part, in the Transportation categorythe prize has gone to Spanish Red Cross in Extremadurafor its specialized transportation program for people with disabilities, and in Products and Services, the Iberdoex Groupfor its universal accessibility service and its commitment to people with disabilities from its sixty service stations which are attended by staff during business hours, in addition to the implementation of new technologies and its defense of the reform of consumer status of Extremadura.
In the category of Communication and Information Technologiesthe award has gone to Don Benito Town Hall for its signage, braille and tics project, which consists of installing street information plaques attached to the facades at an accessible height incorporating a braille reading system and QR barcode.
In the section of Career in Accessibilitythe award went to Crescenciano Jiménez Íñigo and Ana María Rubio Sánchez, responsible for the entity Asdivi (Association of People with Disabilities of the Villuercas Region), which have been carrying out intense protest activity in terms of social integration and mainly in the field of accessibility in the region.
Furthermore, in this edition the jury has considered granting a special mention recognizing the work and commitment in promoting accessibility to Trujillo City Councilfor its commitment and involvement in the promotion and encouragement of universal accessibility in the province of Cáceres with the transfer of municipal space for the installation of the Otaex headquarters (Technical Office of Accessibility of Extremadura).