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Hernals businesses receive barrier-free award – a victory for inclusion!
On October 9, 2025, important awards for accessibility and medical care quality were presented in Hernals.
Hernals businesses receive barrier-free award – a victory for inclusion!
In Hernals the signs point to change and progress, especially when it comes to accessibility. District leader Peter Jagsch emphasizes the central role of good local amenities in the quality of life of residents. This year's Hernals Awards also introduced a new Accessibility Award, which will be given to companies in all 23 districts of Vienna to motivate them to improve accessibility. Like that Vienna district newspaper reported that Felber Bakery received first prize in this category. The owner Franz Felber makes it clear how important accessibility is to him by mentioning that his stepson, who uses a wheelchair, tests new businesses for their accessibility.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg! Excellent practices and facilities were recognized in the medicine category. Particularly noteworthy are Dr. Sabine Dittrich with her practice for regulatory medicine, the optician Stefan Gruber from “augenwien” and the team from Haus zum Leben in Alszeile. The awards were presented by Peter Jagsch, Martina Pfluger from the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Gernot Schlitzer from the Volksbanken.
The winners of the Hernals Awards 2025
The list of winners reflects the diversity and quality of local companies. Here is an overview:
| category | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small businesses | “Flower Harmony” by Wilma Nowak | Grätzl-Greissler by Michael Candlesdorfer | Restaurant Heuberg by Sridhran Bhashyam, “Roger” |
| medium-sized companies | Sport Nora | Pizzeria “Caorle” by Manfred Böhm | Ferdinand Kittinger's carpentry and kitchen studio |
| Large companies | Car Dealership Jobst | Men | “Loytec electronics” |
In the context of accessibility, Vienna has also taken a significant step on the European stage. The city was awarded the prestigious Access City Award 2025 excellent. This award, presented since 2010 by the European Commission and the European Disability Forum, recognizes cities that are committed to accessibility. Vienna has impressed not only with its infrastructural measures, but also with its digital offerings and the involvement of its citizens.
European commitment to accessibility
The Access City Award is an important incentive for cities as it focuses on the importance of accessibility. The 2023 winner, Skellefteå in Sweden, received 150,000 euros to further expand its accessibility measures. Second place went to Córdoba, Spain, and third place went to Ljubljana, Slovenia. These awards show how cities in the European Union must continually expand their accessibility measures.
It is important that cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants can take part in the competition and must document their progress in accessibility. The next opportunity to participate in the Access City Award will take place in the upcoming call for proposals for 2024. The selection criteria take into account not only the existing measures, but also future plans.
It will be exciting to see how accessibility efforts will develop in Vienna and other cities. There is certainly still a lot to do to further improve inclusion for all citizens.