The Haus der Geschichte museum in Bonn has presented new accessibility measures designed to help visitors with different needs explore its permanent exhibition on German history since 1945 more independently.
One of the new tools is the free eZwayZ navigation app. For blind and low-vision visitors, it uses acoustic signals, speech output and vibration to provide orientation through the building and guide people to tactile objects. Audio descriptions for the tactile exhibits can be played directly in the app.
The exhibition also includes tactile orientation plans, 17 tactile objects and videos in German Sign Language. According to the museum, it is the first museum in the German-speaking region to use eZwayZ.
The accessibility measures were developed over several years with a group of around 20 people with and without disabilities who advised the museum team and tested prototypes. The process demonstrates how involving users directly can help accessibility become part of exhibition design from the beginning.
Source: Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.