A wheelchair-bound candidate with cerebral palsy was assigned to an inaccessible school during Enem 2025, preventing her from using the bathroom for eight hours. The Inep error caused distress for Sofia Crispim Soares, who had to be carried and fight for required supports. The institute promised reallocation for the next test day.
Sofia Crispim Soares, 20, took the Enem for the third time on Sunday (November 9, 2025), but faced severe accessibility issues at Escola Estadual Professor Newton Espírito Santo Ayres in Osasco, Greater São Paulo. Despite indicating her wheelchair use due to cerebral palsy and requesting an accessible school, reader, and transcriber during registration, the site lacked ramps or elevators. The main entrance has over 15 steps, and the back one a smaller staircase, forcing test administrators to carry the young woman.
"As we had registered in previous years and requested these supports, the system had even saved Sofia's information. It always worked fine and we never had problems, but this time they got everything wrong," reported Denise Crispim, 46, Sofia's mother. The young woman arrived at the site at 12 p.m. and only finished the test at 7:30 p.m., with an extra hour for people with disabilities, without being able to use an adapted bathroom.
Initially, only a reader was provided, but after family insistence, a transcriber was made available. Denise suggested quitting, but Sofia refused: "Mom, I prepared all year, I can't lose this chance and wait another year to try again."
The Inep, responsible for the exam, notified Cebraspe, the administering company, to reallocate Sofia for next Sunday (November 16). For the first day of tests, she will retake it on December 16. Of the 4.8 million confirmed registrants, about 165,000 (3.4%) requested special accommodations, including 7,700 for easy-access rooms.
"Brazil offers so few opportunities for people with disabilities to study, and when someone manages to finish high school, they still face difficulties. It's so much unpreparedness and humiliation for this population," criticized Denise. She plans to report Inep to the Public Ministry for failing to ensure equal conditions for all candidates.