Tourism for All

There are nearly seven million people in Germany and almost fifty million in Europe living with disabilities and for whom travel can pose a particular challenge. Whether as a tourist or travelling on business, they are constantly running into often insurmountable barriers such as steps or a lack of acoustic signals. According to the Nationalen Koordinationsstelle für barrierefreien Tourismus e.V. ("National Coordination Centre for Accessible Tourism" – NatKo), making the world accessible and free of barriers

• is a must for 10 per cent of the population;
• helpful for more than 40 per cent; and
• convenient for 100 per cent.

 

These figures clearly show that accessibility needs to become a share goal of our society, but especially in tourism!

Becoming More Accessible by the Day

In 2013, Berlin was named “Barrier-Free City” by the European Commission, singled out for what it offers compared to 99 other cities in Europe. In particular, the EU praised the city’s public transport and new buildings with integrated accessibility. Nonetheless, there are still some barriers in the city, ranging from pavers or construction sites on the way to the next attraction. As a result, it can become quite a hassle getting around the city with a pram, walking stick, wheelchair or cane. That’s why visitBerlin is here to provide support as you plan your next trip to Germany’s capital.

visitBerlin is actively committing to promoting accessibility in Berlin

visitBerlin has worked with NatKo to develop standards that do justice to the needs and wishes of those coming to the German capital. Tourist partners such as Berlin's hotels and attractions can now have their operations certified as being accessible. The accessible services and products they offer will be listed on this website and thus made readily accessible to people with disabilities. The detailed results of the process for certifying tourist establishments in Berlin will also be stored in a Germany-wide database. Find more information about this project on the homepage of DSFT (in German).

Help yourself, by helping us optimizing the process!

visitBerlin is constantly working to make information about the German capital accessible to all visitors to Berlin. We will continue to optimise our online presence in the coming months and would appreciate your assistance in this project. Please send us your feedback and suggestions for making the visitBerlin website even more accessible to redaktion@visitBerlin.de.