Our new STATION-Berlin location is designed to be largely barrier-free, meaning that all halls will be accessible to our guests with limited mobility and appropriate restroom facilities are available. Together with Aktion Mensch, we are able to provide sign language interpreters for several #rp12 sessions. Accessibility is also thematic point at #rp12 as the internet can act as a driving force in creating a barrier-fee community.
BrokenLifts.org, for example, is an Open Source project which uses the net to visualise where the lifts in Berlin’s public transport system are broken and what their current maintenance progress is. This allows anyone to help make Berlin barrier-free and plan an accessible route through the city. Design philosopher Raul Krauthausen, who is also behind wheelmap.org, created BrokenLifts.org and will use his session at #rp12 to explain how the project works.
Furthermore, and also in cooperation with Aktion Mensch, #rp12 has invited the web designer Maik Wagner to explain optic and acoustic tips, tricks and pitfalls in barrier-free web design. Our guests also include @einaugenschmaus, the Ennomane and Mr Not quite like Beethoven who all use the internet as part of their barrier-free society.
More on accessibility and barrier-freedom at #rp12 can be found here and here.