How can companies turn accessibility from a perceived burden into a practical driver of inclusion and business value?

In this episode of Pathways to Zero Barriers, host Tom Butcher speaks with Guilherme Braga, Founder and CEO of Egalité, a Brazilian social business supporting the employment of persons with disabilities for over 15 years. Guilherme reflects on how early exposure to accessible environments shaped his approach and contrasts this with the persistent invisibility of people with disabilities in workplaces in Brazil.

He discusses Egalité’s three pillars—accessible recruitment, inclusive culture, and accessibility—and the challenges of scaling a social business while balancing impact and financial sustainability. The conversation highlights common misconceptions about accessibility, the risks of treating inclusion as a short-term trend, and the importance of involving people with disabilities directly, including in the design of AI-driven solutions.

Resources & Links

🔗 Programme website: scaling-solutions.zeroproject.org

📄 Transcript

✅ Key Takeaways

🌐 Guest: Guilherme Braga / Egalite: Website

📩 Contact: [email protected]

Brought to you by 

The Zero Project with the support of the Essl Foundation, Fundación Descúbreme, GIZ on behalf of BMZ, and Access to Success. 

Credits

Host: Thomas Butcher 
Production: Małgorzata Grobelna, Alessandro Gobello, and Judith Hermetter 
Audio Engineering: Antina Zlatkova - Mediengarten