Beach + Accessible Award
Updated: 31-08-2026
O Beach + Accessible Award aims to distinguish the national, coastal or inland beaches, which, having been awarded the flag "Accessible Beach" during the bathing season, show the best conditions of accessibility, thus constituting as national reference practices, the quality of the enjoyment of its offer of services and well-being that they provide to people with restricted mobility.
Launched in 2009, this annual prize is awarded by a national jury composed of a representative of each of the bodies below and a representative of the sponsor of the competition edition:
- Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P., which chairs
- Portuguese Environment Agency, I.P.
- Turismo de Portugal, I.P.
- Directorate-General Maritime Authority / Shipwreck Relief Institute
- Blue Flag Association for Environment and Education – ABAAE
- Sponsor IACESS
For this award, the company IACESS annually allocates bathing support equipment that improves the accessibility of the winning bathing areas.
Entities with competence in the management of bathing areas classified as accessible under the "Accessible Beach, Beach for All!" programme may apply, and each municipality may apply each year for a bathing area in each of the typologies – coastal beach and inland beach –, choosing them according to the differentiated accessibility conditions it presents.
This initiative aims to stimulate the implementation of good practices that constitute clear added value in terms of innovation, comprehensiveness and quality of accessibility conditions and support available to these people and their companions, as well as a consistent and effective communication to the public of the offer provided.
For more information, see also: websites of the other promoters: APA e TP.
Applications
Applications for the Prize must be submitted to the Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by 30 September each year, as provided for in the Regulation.
Submission of applications for the Praia + Accessible Award to: INR-praia.acessivel@inr.mtsss.pt