TU Dresden has taken a key step on its path to becoming an inclusive university. The new accessible guidance and orientation system was officially inaugurated on February 21, 2018, in the Auditorium Center. Journalists were invited to join the event, which was embedded as part of a presentation of short films.

The university is large, with many buildings and twisting corridors. New students, employees and visitors will quickly notice how important a good guidance system is for finding their way around campus – especially if they are pressed for time! For wheelchair users and people with visual impairments, the challenge is even greater. In order to help all university members and guests get oriented, TU Dresden has established an accessible guidance and orientation system. The Auditorium Center – the most-frequented building on campus – has been selected as a pilot building and equipped with new signs and symbols following a comprehensive planning and test phase.

The focus is on much more than just aesthetics and readability. The entire guidance system is meticulously coordinated, from the overview boards at the entrance to the marking of the stairways and the door signs. Special attention was paid to accessibility. Fonts and pictograms were carefully selected, the color scheme is rich in contrast, and the information is displayed at the correct height in order to ensure optimum legibility. Stair-free routes, e.g. for wheelchair users, are specifically designated. Tactile systems enable people with visual impairments to find their way around the buildings independently. There is an overview board with Braille writing, the directions and buttons at each elevator are equipped with tactile lettering and the room numbers are also designed with raised tactile lettering and Braille. The connection to the Campus Navigator, TU Dresden’s online orientation system, is unique in Germany. By scanning QR codes, users are directed to the “digital door sign” right on their smartphone, which contains information such as appropriate contacts and occupancy schedules.

TU Dresden’s new accessible guidance and orientation system enables improved conditions for education and research. As a component of the Diversity Strategy, it helps to ensure inclusiveness at TU Dresden. The project team is comprised of members from Central Technical Services, Corporate Design and Staff Unit Diversity Management. Following the Auditorium Center, other buildings on campus have been equipped with the accessible guidance and orientation system.

Inauguration and presentation of short films on February 21, 2018, at 5:00 pm
TU Dresden Auditorium Center, Bergstraße 64, Room 304

The project team introduced the strategy for the new accessible guidance and orientation system and invited visitors to test it out. The event was included as part of a presentation of short films under the title “Klar_Sichtstreifen,” organized by curator Susanne Seifert on the topic of inclusion. Six international short films – including award-winning pieces – invite people to pursue inclusive togetherness. An audio description to accompany the short films was available via the Sennheiser MobileConnect smartphone app. Council members from the Information and Counseling Office for Studies and Disability of the German Student Union were also in attendance as guests and contacts. They work to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same non-discriminatory access to university studies as people without disabilities.

Information for journalists
Kay Schomburg (Project Head of the Accessible Guidance and Orientation System)
Tel.: +49 351 463-32531