Aline Castro was born with spinal muscular atrophy, so she has always needed a wheelchair to get around. A resident of Belo Horizonte — a city regarded as the “bar capital” because of its sheer number of venues — she has always led an active life, never holding back from visiting bars, restaurants, and other leisure spots around the city.
However, access difficulties and the lack of accommodations at these venues became frequent obstacles in her daily life, which pushed her to take action. That's how Acessibilibarcame about, a pioneering project that assesses the accessibility of bars and restaurants for people with disabilities.
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Acessibilibar grew out of Aline's own experiences and the rising demand from other people with disabilities who were looking for information about the accessibility of venues in the Minas Gerais capital.
“I used to get a lot of messages asking if I knew certain places and whether they were accessible,” Aline says. “Unfortunately, even though accessibility is required by law, it isn't enforced due to a lack of awareness. So I decided to combine my own experiences with this shared need and create the project,” she reveals.
The project, which Aline runs personally, involves visiting bars and restaurants, where she evaluates a range of criteria essential to ensuring an accessible experience for all customers, regardless of physical condition. For restaurants deemed accessible, she awards the Acessibilibar seal for the owner to display at their venue.
Aline looks at things like the presence of ramps or elevators as alternatives to stairs, whether restrooms are properly adapted and functional, and whether tables and chairs are set at a standard height for wheelchair users. She also checks whether venues offer physical and digital menus, a crucial issue for people with visual impairments or communication difficulties.
Beyond her hands-on experience, Aline also shared important reflections on the state of accessibility in Belo Horizonte and other Brazilian cities. In her view, the biggest challenge for people with disabilities isn't getting into a venue, but staying there with dignity and comfort.
“These days I see that people don't even know what accessibility really means. Most venues have a ramp at the entrance, but the problem starts when you need to use the restroom and it isn't adapted. Or when the only tables available are too high for someone in a wheelchair,” she says.
Accessibility across different Brazilian cities
Aline points out that, while some regions of Brazil — like the south of the country — are known for their structural accessibility, there's still a long way to go before cities like Belo Horizonte and Brasília become truly accessible.
“I was surprised by the lack of infrastructure in Brasília. During a recent visit, I noticed that ramps at crosswalks were almost nonexistent, which makes getting around the city a real challenge.”
Acessibilibar also aims to raise awareness among business owners and the public at large about the importance of accessibility. For Aline, accessibility is a responsibility that should be shared between the government, business owners, and society as a whole.
“I believe accessibility should be a matter for both the government and individual citizens. It takes government support for implementation, enforcement, and awareness, but it's also essential for business owners to understand how important it is to make their spaces inclusive,” she concludes.
