News Details

INR promove acessibilidade em serviços públicos e praias nos Açores

Updated : 23/09/2025

Assembly with six photographs: 1 - Coastal area with waves hitting the rocks and a straw umbrella on the right. 2 - Two flags raised on masts; One of them is the ‘Accessible Beach, Beach for All!’ programme, 3 - Walk covered by dark stone columns in front of a building. 4 - Entrance of building with green doors and stone arches. 5 - Square or wide street with pavement in black and white strips, motorcycles parked on the right and buildings in the background. 6 - Wheelchair adapted for beach or uneven terrain, with large yellow wheels.

The National Institute for Rehabilitation was, on 2 and 3 September 2025, on the island of São Miguel, in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, to promote accessibility in public services and bathing areas.

As part of its inspection powers, the team of the National Institute for Rehabilitation carried out, on 2 September, two inspections of public services on the island of São Miguel, with the aim of verifying compliance with the accessibility requirements laid down in the Technical Standards on Accessibility applicable to buildings and establishments open to the public.

On 3 September, as part of the ‘Accessible Beach, Beach for All!’ programme, the team carried out two joint technical visits with the Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies of the Regional Secretariat for the Sea and Fisheries to the beaches of Milícias and Poço de São Vicente Ferreira, both in the municipality of Ponta Delgada.

The visits were attended by technicians from the municipality of Ponta Delgada, the local Health Delegation, the municipality of Ribeira Grande, the Captaincy of Ponta Delgada and the Environment and Climate Action Services of São Miguel.

The objectives of these visits were to:

  • assess the accessibility conditions of the awarded beaches and compliance with the criteria of the ‘Accessible Beach, Beach for All’ programme;
  • identify aspects that can be corrected or improved;
  • Promote cooperation between the various entities involved, namely the Regional Directorate for Maritime Policies and the Environment and Climate Action Services, which carry out the surveys to award the prize on the beaches of the island of São Miguel;
  • Identify opportunities for improvement of the Programme and assess needs that can be addressed through future awareness-raising and training actions.

The results made it possible to gather useful information for future actions to raise awareness and improve the ‘Accessible Beach, Beach for All!’ programme, helping to ensure more inclusive beaches for all people.