New Restaurant in New York Designed By and For Disabled People

Yannick Benjamin and George Gallego, both wheelchair users, have created one of America’s most accessible restaurants, right in the heart of East Harlem in New York City. Contento, as it is called, is a casual restaurant with a Peruvian flair – and lots of accessibility.

The restaurant’s accessibility features include a lowered bar top for wheelchair users, space to maneuver a wheelchair between tables, a QR code activated menu accessible to screen readers and a truly accessible bathroom on the same floor as dining room.

After Benjamin was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, he began dreaming of a restaurant that would welcome all patrons – including disabled guests. Consento, the finished product contains “small modifications that can go a long way” toward improving accessibility, something Benjamin says isn’t often done by other restaurants.

He hopes that Consento will contribute to changing the way people think about disability, inspiring a sense of empathy and understanding.

To learn more about the Consento restaurant, read the article from NBC’s TODAY.