Accessible Gdansk
Accessibility is a fundamental right, not a luxury. It should be the norm, not the exception. We value the different perspectives of diverse people and aim to promote and inform the world about a more inclusive and accessible reality.
Accessible tourism goes beyond traditional frameworks and encompasses more than just providing appropriate amenities or infrastructure. It's about facilitating access for people with physical disabilities and parents traveling with small children, seniors, and individuals with allergies or specific needs. Accessible tourism is an investment in the future of each of us.
Accessibility audits
The Gdansk Tourism Organization (GTO) has been running a long-term project to provide information on the accessibility of places for people with disabilities.
Project implementation assumptions:
- auditors are people with various types of disabilities (sight, hearing, movement) andcaregivers of people with disabilities
- auditors with similar disabilities carry out several audits in one facility, to be able to identify the most common observations
- audits cover the entire process: from the moment the idea of visiting the facility appears until returning home
- audits are used to collect useful insights that will inform other people in the future with disabilities to make informed decisions regarding visits to facilities
The audits require cooperation with the facilities. Their purpose is not to compare the facilities or create rankings. After the audits, business cards of the facilities containing the most important information will appear on the website www.visitgdansk.com, including information regarding their availability. All audits are based on a uniform questionnaire adapted to the specifics of the audited object. The questionnaire is composed of 6 thematic blocks.
- preparation for the visit
- travel to the facility
- availability of the facility
- availability of the offer
- return trip
- summary of the visit.
Since 2022, we have completed over 100 audits in tourist facilities in Gdansk, including the Tourist Information and the Gdansk Resident Card points run by GTO. In 2024, the mission to inform about accessibility continues, with another 36 visits scheduled for this year.
The list will be continuously updated with new places.
Communication Card for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals
The communication card fits on an A4-sized sheet of paper. It consists of systematically organized pictograms, with a space for a response or clarification of the question. The second side of the card allows a written or drawn form of communication– between individuals involved in the conversation.
The card facilitates understanding between parties engaged in the exchange of information. It simplifies the transmission and reception of messages, eliminating language, cultural, and other barriers that may arise in traditional verbal communication.
One of the key advantages of the communication card is its universality. Although originally developed as a tool to support communication for Deaf individuals, its application extends far beyond this group. The card can be used by foreigners who do not speak any language, individuals using ETR (easy-to-read) language communication, people with speech impairments, as well as preschool or school-age children who are just learning to communicate.
The potential of the communication card lies in its simplicity and flexibility. By using symbols and graphics, the card enables the transmission of diverse messages without the need for words. Pointing to a specific pictogram accompanied by a gesture can serve as both a question and an answer. Additionally, the communication card can be personalized and tailored to the individual needs of users and facilities, further enhancing its effectiveness.
Currently, the communication card is in the prototyping phase. We are collecting feedback from auditors and employees of tourist facilities regarding its functionality, ease of use, the appropriateness of the pictograms used, and the need for additional translations. Cards are available in different languages.
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