Latest news and stories about accessibility in Portugal for expats and residents.
The government is evaluating the integration of the Setúbal-Troia river transport connection into the Navegante fare system. Officials stated the move aims to improve accessibility, pricing, and the overall sustainability of the public service. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing is currently analyzing recommendations from the Mobility and Transport Authority (Autoridade da Mobilidade e dos Transportes or AMT).
The Avenida Marginal and the Cascais railway line will close on Saturday night in Algés to allow for the installation of a new pedestrian bridge. Rail services between Cais do Sodré and Caxias will be suspended starting at 9:00 PM, with road traffic closures beginning at 10:00 PM.
Hans Jørgen Wiberg, who was born in Denmark in 1965 and lives with tunnel vision, co‑founded Be My Eyes in 2015 to reduce everyday barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired. The mobile app connects users with sighted volunteers through live video calls so volunteers can provide remote visual assistance on demand. While the model has strong accessibility impact and low technical complexity, it depends on the scale and quality of a volunteer network and raises operational questions around reliability, privacy and availability. Given the headline framing as an “AI” app, the service also highlights an intersection where human‑in‑the‑loop assistance could be augmented by machine vision — offering potential scalability but bringing technical, ethical and usability trade‑offs that warrant careful deployment.
In Portugal, the rights of people with disabilities are rarely lost through revocation. They are lost, fundamentally, through non-execution and inaction. Opinion by Lia Ferreira
An online seminar focusing on accessibility standards and initiatives in Portugal, held in conjunction with National Accessibility Day.
The Portuguese association for the visually impaired celebrates its 37th anniversary this coming weekend.
A protocol with the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Coimbra will be signed on Saturday, on the 9th anniversary of the association founded in 2017 by parents of visually impaired children.
A project based at the university that 'functions like a library' and accepts appointments. It allows for interaction with braille machines and provides insight into 'how an accessible book is built'.
The works aim to correct previously identified anomalies, with interventions planned for access doors, the ticket office, the cloakroom, and the designation of spaces for people with reduced mobility.
Eduardo Sá opens his heart about life after his accident, denounces prejudice, criticises artificial intelligence in schools, and reflects on silence, friendships, and the true freedom to cry.
The Lisbon Metro announced this Friday that it will provide a new telephone assistance service to help those who wish to use the elevators but are unable to do so. The customer support line will be located next to the elevators that are outside and on the boarding platform, reinforcing assistance to customers who need it.
The assistance number will provide information on elevator availability and alternative routes. In February, there were 38 elevators and 40 escalators out of service at Metro stations.
The initiative stems from a draft proposal by the Left Bloc and was approved by almost all parties, with only Chega abstaining. Polling station staff will be required to receive prior training.
The initiative was approved by a majority in a final global vote, with 214 votes in favour and three abstentions.
The Left Bloc wants the Government to commit to ensuring that deaf people do not go another year without access to emergency services via the 112 line.
The government acknowledges it is aware of the situation and guarantees it is re-evaluating the issue to find a solution.
The house where we have lived for years may no longer meet our needs in the same way. Stairs, bathrooms, or circulation areas that were never a problem can become more difficult to use over time. In this episode of Minuto Consumidor, we explain which signs should serve as a warning and what changes can help maintain autonomy and safety at home.
Google has begun rolling out a new accessibility and digital wellbeing feature called Motion Assist for Android 17 devices. Designed to mitigate motion sickness—the discomfort felt when using a smartphone in a moving vehicle—the tool is being released progressively, starting with the new Pixel 11 models. The feature works by displaying subtle visual cues on the edges of the screen that track the vehicle's movement, helping to reduce the sensory conflict between what the eyes see and what the inner ear feels. According to tech media, users can set Motion Assist to activate automatically when the phone detects it is in transit or control it manually via a dedicated Quick Settings tile. The tool also offers customization options for the colour, shape, opacity, and randomness of the visual indicators. Unlike previous tests that relied on generic screen overlay permissions, this new implementation benefits from deep system-level API changes in Android 17, allowing the dynamic dots to be displayed without restrictions over any app or interface element. While this marks the arrival of a native solution in the Android ecosystem, Apple has offered a similar tool, Vehicle Motion Cues, on its iOS devices for several years.
Finding broken escalators or elevators in the Lisbon Metro has become common and peaked at the beginning of 2026. The situation is gradually improving. A conversation with Ana Suspiro.
In February, a record for broken equipment was set: there were 40 escalators and 38 lifts out of service at stations in the capital. Maintenance procedures have changed, and improvements are starting to be noticed.
The Ministry of Justice, through the Institute for Financial Management and Justice Equipment, has signed a contract for the project to modernise and replace the elevators at the Lisbon Palace of Justice. In a statement, it announced that the investment is 551,800 euros, plus VAT, and has an execution period of 150 days.
In general, Portuguese operators met their accessibility obligations for audiences with special needs in 2025. However, the range of accessible content did not increase compared to 2024.
While the number of accessible beaches is increasing, many still lack the necessary infrastructure in reality despite being officially designated as such.
A report indicates that only a third of Portuguese beaches provide adequate access for people with limited mobility.
Home News São Mateus Fair features a support area for neurodivergent individuals São Mateus Fair features a support area for neurodivergent individuals Neurodivergent individuals have access to a self-regulation room at the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, a space that, this year, also offers a sensory
Neurodivergent individuals have access to a self-regulation room at the São Mateus Fair in Viseu. There is also a kit and a sensory map available to assist families.
The Sírculos space was implemented in 2025 after parents of autistic children complained about excessive sound and visual stimuli. The room “calms the mind” and assists with non-verbal communication.
Gabriela becomes the first adolescent in Portugal to be accompanied by a guide dog, marking a significant milestone for accessibility.
Gabriela becomes the first adolescent in Portugal to be paired with a guide dog to assist with her daily mobility.
