"UNBARRIER" launches: the project to make hospitality more accessible and inclusive

A project created by YAM112003 and Just People that provides operational solutions and dedicated training, with the membership of the first partner brands, Levoni, Sanbittèr and Miscusi, to help venues overcome physical and cultural barriers and build spaces truly open to all people.

Milan, 9 March 2026. Making a bar, a restaurant, a meeting place accessible means making the city itself more accessible, because it is in everyday meeting places that the degree of inclusion of a community is measured. With this vision UNBARRIER was born, the project by YAM112003 and Just People presented today at Combo Milano during the launch press conference, with the patronage of the City of Milan and of Confcommercio Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza.

The name itself captures the meaning of the initiative. UNBARRIER is a compound word that expresses a proactive action: "to unbarrier" means to overcome, to act, to change. It is not only about removing a physical barrier, but a stance taken by those who choose to join the project, turning accessibility into visible and shared commitment.

UNBARRIER is a concrete path that supports bars, restaurants and venues in becoming increasingly inclusive, integrating structural interventions, operational tools and training in an organic approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

The initiative provides venues with tools to improve the accessibility of spaces and of the consumption experience. These include mobile ramps to overcome entrance steps; braille QR codes to access menus in an accessible digital format; supports designed to encourage stability and autonomy, such as trays that can be used safely also by people in wheelchairs; and, where needed, dedicated tables for easier use of the space. Venues will also be provided with stim toys, for neurodivergent people.

Alongside these interventions, others of which will follow in the next project phases, there are training moments dedicated to the venues' staff, focused on inclusion, hospitality and overcoming bias, as well as introductory modules to Italian Sign Language to facilitate interaction with deaf people. A coordinated set of actions that makes accessibility not an abstract principle, but a daily and recognisable practice.

The urgency of a project like UNBARRIER is evident in the numbers. In Europe over 27% of the population lives with a disability, more than one person in four (Eurostat 2023): a significant share of citizens for whom access to places of social life cannot be taken for granted.

At the same time, 89% of people say they want entrepreneurs committed to creating more accessible environments (W&T Inclusion's next wave 2022). Inclusion is no longer a marginal topic, but an explicit request that runs through society and redefines expectations towards businesses.

At a time when Milan is at the centre of international attention with the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics underway, the theme of accessibility takes on an even clearer meaning. Hospitality becomes a distinctive element for the territory and for the hospitality system, called to respond in a structured and ongoing way to the needs of a society increasingly attentive to equity and participation, not only towards people with disabilities, but also the elderly, families with strollers, and people with temporary or invisible disabilities.

Levoni, Sanbittèr and Miscusi are the first brands to join UNBARRIER, recognising accessibility as a strategic element for the development of the sector and for the evolution of the offer. Their participation represents a fundamental step in turning the commitment to inclusion into action within hospitality spaces.

Thanks to the involvement of these partners, the project starts with a first network of pilot venues that have chosen to get involved: a first Miscusi point of sale; Dry Milano and Morsettificio, in collaboration with Levoni; and Le Biciclette, together with Sanbittèr. Real spaces, open to the public, where the UNBARRIER path can immediately translate into concrete experience.

"The project stems from the integration of the strategic, creative and production skills of our two agencies, with the goal of putting our skills at the service of a tangible social value," state Alessia Tousco, Managing Director & Founder of YAM112003, and Antonio Ferrara, CEO of Just People.

With the press conference on 9 March, a phase begins that is set to expand in the coming months, with the extension of the network of venues and partners involved and the goal of consolidating a replicable model able to generate real impact on the territory.