„"Your place for education"“That’s what it says on the homepage of our new website. „We open up spaces for young people to learn creatively, experience diverse encounters, and gain new perspectives.“ This is how we describe our approach to youth education. We chose this wording in 2025 when developing our new brand identity. We want to be a place for everyone!”
Whether structural changes or accessible websites: Inclusive design was the focus in many areas last year. We understand inclusion as an attitudeRemoving barriers is always a win for everyone – and a learning-intensive and ongoing process.
The following article examines our activities on the topic of inclusion in 2025 from various perspectives: from the Daily life of a seminar participant, from the perspective of structural challenges as well as from the perspective of the development of a accessible website and a new visual identity the youth education center. And we'll give a brief overview. Outlook on current events.
Perspective on the seminar experience
In 2025, two cooperation seminars were held on the topic of European Youth Goal #1: BRINGING THE EU TOGETHER WITH YOUTH with Concrete Narrative Society eV. Instead. Young people from Steglitz-Zehlendorf, with and without refugee experience, participated during the Easter and summer holidays. „"Europe, we're participating"“ part.
Anastasiia was among them.
She was the first participant to stay in room 1/country house after we converted it to be wheelchair accessible in 2025.
Could you please briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Anastasia and I am 21 years old. I come from Ukraine and have been in Berlin for three years.
I went to the wannseeFORUM three or four times, and I was often in the film groups.
What do you enjoy about the seminars?
I've made friends here. I'm someone who always contributes lots of ideas. I enjoy playing card games like Werewolf. Volleyball is out of the question. I like being in front of the camera and also working behind it as a camera operator. Lighter cameras would be better for that.
Do you have a favorite spot in the wannseeFORUM?
Yes, a white bench under trees by the lake. It's quiet there, and sometimes I feel "overcrowded". That's my retreat then.
As a wheelchair user, what do you think of the new overnight room in the country house?
Okay, but a few things are still missing. More space would be good, and a wardrobe for hanging clothes or hooks for personal pictures.
Thank you for your feedback, we will improve this and certainly more.
And will you come back?
Yes. I want to see what Katja(*) is doing that's so interesting, and I have friends here.
After the first use of the room in September, Anastasiia, as an expert, gave us detailed feedback with suggestions for improvement. These have been and are now being implemented.
The interview with her and Anastasiia's photos were taken in January 2026 during her renewed participation in the seminar.
(*Katja Pratschke: Project and seminar management of Concrete Narrative Society eV.)
Perspective on construction measures
In 2023, together with the company „GETEQ – Evaluation. Education. Consulting“We conducted a comprehensive accessibility check for our country house. Daniel Baway and his team examined the building from the perspectives of people with various disabilities, thus providing us with a new, very concrete view of necessary structural changes. Site visits, consultations, and workshops with GETEQ took place as part of the…” „Roadmap Diversity and Inclusion“ in the project Youth.Springboard.Culture - Network for Diversity and Inclusion the Berlin State Association for Cultural Youth Education.
Since then, the focus has been on both raising awareness within our team and the gradual, inclusive development of our buildings. The realization that not only large construction projects, but also many smaller measures can noticeably improve everyday life has proven particularly valuable.
An important step was taken in 2025. Barrier-free conversion of the path to the basement of the country house. This also means that access to our first barrier-free room in the ward building possible.
In all houses, the following were also Fire alarms have been renewed and equipped with visual signals for deaf people. supplemented. The first electrically operated doors They have now been installed and significantly facilitate the use of central areas.
Perspective: Appearance and Website
How can we improve our Making educational venues more accessible both online and offline?
This guiding question was at the beginning of the development of our new Corporate designs and the accessible website. Since 2025, digital accessibility has been legally mandated. With the relaunch of our website, we meet the requirements of the WCAG 2.1 (AA) standard and combine them with our own commitment to considering inclusion at all levels.
Together with the agency Novamondo, our new design was created in an intensive exchange process with representatives from the board of trustees, the executive board and the youth advisory board.
Key requirements included the recognizability of the wannseeFORUM, for example through its logo and the color blue, as well as appealing to as many different target groups as possible. through the new corporate design.
Our redesigned logo is now much easier to read. The new color scheme uses strong contrasts and also reflects our waterfront location. Circular and wave shapes from the logo are recurring elements in a playful visual language, for example, here in the annual report. The website continues to be primarily aimed at adults. For young people who follow us on Instagram, it serves as a landing page with additional information, such as details about upcoming seminars.
In 2025, we also revised materials, partly inspired by the Internal one-day workshop „All guests are welcome“. Within the framework of AdB project „SPREAD – Awareness Raising, Civic Education, Reflection, Empowerment, Ableism Deconstruction“ The focus was on more inclusive and multimedia communication options. Staff from administration, education, housekeeping, and building services, together with a member of the youth advisory board and a guest lecturer, experimented with how information must be designed to truly reach everyone.
Speakers Dr. Christine Kolbe and Robert Behrendt also developed freely accessible learning and teaching materials that other teams or institutions can use for their own workshops.
What are the next steps for inclusion?
We are planning further internal training courses for 2026. The entire workforce will, for example, learn about the topic... „Neurodivergence“ We will examine this in more detail. A plan is also in place for... Follow-up workshop on inclusive materials. The AdB project „SPREAD” It again supports the financing and participation in further training opportunities on the topic of inclusion. together with other AdB institutions.
The positive feedback we've received on the new website since its launch encourages us to continue. to continue the graphic process. The wannseeFORUM is gradually filling up with new pictures, for example, on the signs at the buffet or the luggage storage signs. A new [something] is emerging. Guidance system Inside the building: The high-contrast color scheme of our new corporate identity forms the basis for improved wayfinding. Pictograms and signage in Braille will be added gradually.
The inclusion architect Jürgen Dettbarn-Reggentin („Barrier-free Building“*) continues to provide expert guidance throughout this process, advising us particularly on matters relating to colors, signage and furnishings.
Even the larger construction perspectives The matter has been clarified: The addition of an elevator to the country house has been deemed feasible in principle by the heritage authorities. We are approaching the planning process with confidence.
The measures already implemented are proving effective – and they give us confidence for the next steps. With these structural changes, we are creating the conditions for [missing information] to begin in the summer of 2026. Seminars for larger groups of people with disabilities These events can take place with us. Our path towards greater accessibility thus remains concrete, vibrant, and dynamic.
*Dettbarn-Reggentin, Jürgen: Practical guide to barrier-free construction: Functional requirements DIN EN 17210 – Technical implementation of DIN 18040. 2nd, completely revised edition. Stuttgart / Cologne: Reguvis Fachmedien GmbH / Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, 2024. 459 pp. ISBN-13: 978-3-8462-1521-0.