„“How can information be designed so that everyone can actually use it?” asked employees from the perspectives of administration, education, housekeeping, building services, and the youth advisory board during a training course in November.
Accessibility as a shared responsibility
The one-day workshop "Everyone is welcome. Making information understandable for everyone" was part of the development process of the Wannsee Forum into an inclusive learning space.
Within the framework of the AdB project "SPREAD – Sensitization, Political Education, Reflection, Empowerment, Ableism Deconstruction," the workshop focused on more inclusive and multimedia communication options.
The aim was accessibility as an abstract principle and instead integrate it concretely into the daily life of an educational institution. The workshop combined expert input with practical work. The collaborative discussion initially focused on the societal significance of accessibility and why it is relevant far beyond visible limitations. Particular attention was paid to invisible and multiple impairments. The intersectional perspective makes it clear that people often experience not just one, but several forms of disadvantage simultaneously, for example, due to disabilities, origin, gender, or age. These overlaps were consciously addressed in the workshop and considered during the brainstorming process. It
quickly became clear: accessibility is not an "extra" for a few, but a benefit for everyone.
Practical instead of theoretical
The practical part of the workshop explored ways to make information more understandable and accessible. Through exercises on icons, revising informational texts, and using video, audio, and AI applications, participants developed ideas for inclusive information design on-site.
Key findings included: clear, spoken language aids comprehension, images and symbols provide additional access points, and digital media lose their intimidating aspect when used firsthand.
Many perspectives, many ideas
The exchange was diverse and engaging. Different professional perspectives enriched the discussion. Key questions repeatedly arose: How can barriers be removed professionally and affordably?
In the end, many concrete approaches for further reducing barriers were identified: from new information formats to small, immediately implementable changes in everyday work routines.
Experience shows that when employees from different departments collaborate creatively, awareness of ableism grows, as does the desire to consider accessibility from the outset.
Sharing knowledge, enabling change
To ensure the workshop experiences have a lasting impact, OER materials (open educational resources) were developed. These can be used by other teams or institutions for their own workshops.
In the wannseeFORUM, we are planning a follow-up workshop in 2026 to further develop what has been created.
