The Challenge of Accessibility in Historic Towns: The Case of Tiradentes Square in Ouro Preto - Brazil

Ouro Preto was the first Brazilian city to be considered as a World Heritage Site (1980) and is one of the most relevant with regard to the Portuguese colonial architecture in Brazil. The objective of this article is to analyze the situation of accessibility design heightening in the Tiradentes Square, considered the tour "heart" of Ouro Preto. The methodology was discussed literature review to contextualize the history of people with disabilities since the time of colonization until the mid- eighteenth century and the history of the city of Ouro Preto and Tiradentes Square. Subsequently was made a case study of change in the level of excerpts from Tiradentes Square, held in 2008, based on the Architectural Design and Memorial Description provided by the Municipality of Ouro Preto. Inserting accessibility elements was recommended, since it has been found that this action cannot be considered sufficient to make Tiradentes Square accessible.