The Iguatemi Shopping Mall in Porto Alegre is in the Jardim Europa neighborhood in the north of the city. It houses a wide array of well-known international brand stores, as well as more locally established brands that are synonymous with Brazil. The Mall is spacious and stylish, perfect for when the weather isn’t looking too great. There’s ample parking, with disabled parking bays in all of the main car parking areas, including the parking lot that is under cover. There is a food court with many choices – featuring many recognizable fast food, buffet-style, and traditional Brazilian cuisine restaurants. There are accessible bathroom stalls beside the food court area and also elsewhere within the shopping center. The entire shopping mall has smooth-floored access and if you do find yourself needing to up a level, there are elevators.
It’s possible to rent (free of charge) mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and mobility scooters, to make your visit more comfortable.
Iguatemi Shopping Mall also has a cinema within its premises, with accessible spaces for wheelchair users and accessible toilets. There are also concession tickets and lowered counters to make access easier for all.
The Good Access at Iguatemi Porto Alegre
There is level access throughout the building and they have mobility aids available should you need to make use of them. There is also a spacious elevator for traveling between floors.
The Bad Access at Iguatemi Porto Alegre
Some of the stores have cramped aisles – but this would need to be addressed on a store-by-store basis. The accessible bathrooms would benefit from being larger and it would also be great if they built an adult changing space. Several people have also complained online that the doors to the accessible toilets are too heavy.
In addition to Iguatemi Shopping Mall being very busy with consumers, there is also the added difficulty of a giant electric train that speeds around the main shopping area, as well as multiple electric cars for children. There were many times I was almost in an accident with my wheelchair when a child came hurtling towards me in their electric toy vehicle.
Tips for Improving Accessibility at Iguatemi Porto Alegre
I would also recommend improving the accessible restrooms and perhaps putting them slightly away from the regular toilets to discourage non-disabled customers from using them. I would also recommend clearer signposting and a better layout – I had to pass through several tables and chairs from the nearby restaurants, as the toilets I used were beside the ‘gourmet food’ area. Finally, if not already present, I would recommend the implementation of hearing loops and braille signage. For bonus points, consider an audio-description feature that describes the layout of the accessible bathroom stall.