Culture without Barriers – EU project
Since May 2021, kubia has been a transnational partner of the German-Polish EU project "Culture without Barriers". In a project period of three years, kubia supports the Polish team in the development and testing of an approach model for more accessibility at publicly funded cultural institutions in Poland.
The aim of the model is to support employees of cultural institutions in planning and implementing accessibility measures for cultural users in a structured manner.
The project is supported by PFRON, the state fund for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities in Poland, in cooperation with the Polish Ministry of Culture and the organization “Culture without Barriers”. On the kubia side, Annalena Knors (Corporate Inclusion, Münster) and Lisette Reuter (Un-Label Performing Arts Company, Cologne), under the direction of kubia staff member Annette Ziegert, are involved in developing the model and accompanying its testing.
After kubia invited the Polish team to an online study trip to Germany in June 2021, a return visit to Poland took place. From September 6 to 9, 2021, Annalena Knors, Lisette Reuter and Annette Ziegert traveled to Warsaw in summery temperatures to gain insights into Polish cultural institutions and their accessibility measures directly on site and in hybrid events. The program was diverse and included presentations of cultural centers, museums, a theater institute, a state umbrella organization for museums and private collections, cultural organizations of the independent scene, a puppet theater and a private company.
The presentations included examples of concrete accessibility measures such as signage, audio description of films and the installation of rest rooms. Also discussed were measures to raise awareness among employees of cultural institutions, approaches to developing accessibility measures together with people with disabilities, and the management of accessibility.
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