The Glasgow Brewery Collective is fundraising to open a taproom, run as a social enterprise, that is totally accessible for people with disabilities.
The collective is an organisation made up of a group of breweries based in and around Glasgow, with an objective to improve accessibility in beer.
The project was conceived by Dave Lannigan, head brewer and founder of Ride Brew Co, who is officially disabled through loss of hearing, and who suffers from ADHD and dyslexia.
He is joined by Late Night Hype and Bute Brew Co, who will lend guidance logistical support and equipment.
It its crowdfunding pitch, the collective says: “By Easter 2019, we aim to open a taproom in the south side of Glasgow, run as a social enterprise, with the goal of being 100% accessible for people with disabilities.
“We will have a special focus on providing well-paid, meaningful employment for people with disabilities who are otherwise struggling to find work.
“The taproom will be in the same unit as the breweries and will naturally have a focus on beer. We think Glasgow has some of the best breweries in the country; from small cuckoo breweries to producers of big macro lagers, we’ve got it all.
“Many breweries struggle to find pubs that aren’t restrained by contracts which prevent them from selling their beer. We want taps dedicated to breweries from Glasgow and the surrounding area — a place for people to come taste the amazing beer brewed in the city.”
The collective is planning, as a minimum:
- Fitting, and maintaining, a T-loop
- Having a lowered, frontless section of the bar for wheelchair accessibility
- Autism hours, with quieter music and, the bare minimum of brewery noise. We plan to further make sure the brewery is as autism friendly as possible during all of its open hours.
- Staff trained in basic BSL
- Large print and easy-read menus
- Straws
The collective has a £25,000 target for this project, with 55 days of crowdfunding remaining. To read more about the project, and to pledge, visit Crowdfunder
