Making a bar, a restaurant or any venue accessible means making the entire city more accessible. Because it’s in everyday gathering spaces that a community’s level of inclusion is truly measured. With this vision, UNBARRIER comes to life — a project by YAM112003 and Just People, presented on March 9 at Combo Milano during the official launch press conference, under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan and Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza and Brianza.
The name itself captures the essence of the initiative. UNBARRIER is a word that expresses a proactive action: to overcome, to act, to change. It’s not just about removing a physical barrier, but about taking a stand – a conscious choice by those who join the project, turning accessibility into a visible and shared commitment.
UNBARRIER is a concrete pathway designed to support bars, restaurants and venues in becoming increasingly inclusive. It combines structural interventions, practical tools and training within a comprehensive approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
The initiative provides operators with tools to improve both space accessibility and the overall guest experience. These include portable ramps to overcome entrance steps; braille QR codes to access digital, accessible menus; specially designed supports to ensure stability and autonomy, such as trays that can be safely used by wheelchair users; and, where needed, dedicated tables for easier space usability. Venues will also be equipped with stim toys (sensory tools) for neurodivergent individuals.
These interventions – with more to come in the next phases of the project – are complemented by training sessions for staff, focused on inclusion, hospitality and overcoming bias, as well as introductory modules in Italian Sign Language to facilitate interaction with deaf guests. A coordinated set of actions that makes accessibility not an abstract principle, but a tangible, everyday practice.
The urgency of a project like UNBARRIER is clear in the numbers. In Europe, over 27% of the population lives with a disability, more than one in four people [Eurostat, 2023]. A significant share of citizens for whom access to social spaces cannot be taken for granted.
In Italy, as recently as 2025, only 41% of school buildings were fully accessible to people with disabilities [ISTAT, Report on School Inclusion 2025].
And yet, inclusion is no longer a marginal topic. It’s a clear expectation shaping society and redefining what people demand from brands: 7 out of 10 individuals actively choose or prefer brands that promote inclusion [Diversity Brand Index 2025].
At a time when Milan is in the international spotlight with the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games underway, accessibility becomes even more relevant. Hospitality turns into a defining element for the city and its ecosystem one that must respond in a structured and ongoing way to the needs of an increasingly equity-driven society. Not only for people with disabilities, but also for the elderly, families with strollers, and individuals with temporary or invisible conditions.
Levoni, Sanbittèr and Miscusi are the first brands to join UNBARRIER, recognizing accessibility as a strategic driver for the evolution of the sector. Their participation marks a key step in translating commitment into concrete, inclusive interventions within hospitality spaces.
Thanks to these partners, the project kicks off with a first network of pilot venues ready to take action: Combo Milano; a first Miscusi restaurant; Dry Milano and Morsettificio in collaboration with Levoni; and Le Biciclette together with Sanbittèr. Real, public spaces where the UNBARRIER journey can immediately become a tangible experience.
