Keerbergen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Keerbergen launches €12,000 campaign for wheelchair access. Alderman An Waters leads, with ramps up to €400 per business installed by Dito. Rollout begins September 2025.
As VRT News reported, this fall, the municipality of Keerbergen, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, is beginning a campaign to improve access to local businesses for people in wheelchairs. Officials will visit shops, restaurants, and service providers to see how easy it is for customers with limited mobility to enter. They will also point out barriers such as steps, narrow passages, or heavy doors.
What impact will Keerbergen’s €12k plan led by An Waters have on wheelchair access?
Alderman for Accessibility, An Wauters (Vooruit), explained the plan with personal experience. She uses a wheelchair herself and said she knows the problems that come with visiting a shop or restaurant alone.
“When you do not have someone with you, it becomes very hard,”
She said.
The municipality of Keerbergen has established a fund of €12,000 to assist local businesses in having the ability to offer wheelchair-accessibility. Officials have decided to proactively move forward with workable solutions and not wait years in order to wait for full renovations. The plan focuses on ramps that can be installed.
Alderman for Accessibility, An Wauters, explained the choice.
“You could wait until businesses undergo renovations to address the problem thoroughly. But we are choosing to take action now. A ramp like this can be installed in a flash,”
She said. The ramps will be placed by employees of the non-profit organisation Dito, with the municipality paying the cost up to €400 for each business.
The rollout begins next week when teams from Dito will visit shops and restaurants in Keerbergen that are not yet accessible for wheelchairs. They will propose the installation of ramps and provide direct assistance to business owners.
The municipality stresses that entrepreneurs do not have to wait for the visits. They will also be able to make a request themselves. In September 2025, a form will be posted on the municipal website where owners can apply for the service.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for every business to take part,”
Alderman Wauters said.
Earlier this summer, in July 2024, Flanders supported a project to improve accessibility in the tourism sector. The region made €1.5 million available to hotels and holiday parks to remove barriers for people with reduced mobility. More than 60 businesses received funds to install ramps and adapt their interiors. The goal was to make holidays easier and more inclusive for wheelchair users and families.
