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Amenities for the disabled in European Solidarity Centre


The ESC building offers amenities for those with motor disabilities as well as those hard of hearing, deaf, visually impaired or blind. The construction of the building was completed in August 2014, and it was designed to ensure all of its main areas were disability-friendly.

➾ special marked parking bays for the disabled in the underground car park,
➾ the auditorium features dedicated spaces for wheelchair users,
➾ the disabled can access all floors of the building via lifts,
➾ the lifts feature convex buttons, Braille markings and a voice information system,
➾ the restrooms have been adapted to the needs of the disabled,
➾ visitors with motor impairments can use the centre’s wheelchairs, which are available free of charge,
➾ a basic set of markings was used based on the ESC visual identification system design, which includes signs pointing to the locations of individual rooms and door plaques on the ground floor of the building; info boards near elevators on all levels of the building containing a list of rooms which can be found on a given floor, in addition to general info boards on floors three and four, containing a list and the names of all rooms; in the building the ECS visual identification system is improved and expanded upon every year.

Even more amenities for the disabled were added in 2016 as part of the project Improving the accessibility of the European Solidarity Centre to individuals with motor impairments, the hard of hearing, deaf, visually impaired and blind.

For visitors with motor impairments, the following amenities have been added:
➾ the door handles and door locks in handicap toilets on three floors were replaced to accommodate those with different motor needs,
➾ the auditorium was equipped with an unfolding, modular ramp for wheelchair users, handgrips were added to the stage stairs, and a ramp slope was installed on the viewing terrace on the 6th floor,
➾ additional handgrips were added on both sides of the glass stairs leading up to the permanent exhibition,
➾ additional bars for hanging clothes were installed in the cloakroom,
➾ tactile markings were added to the edges of the fountain.

The building is also very accessible to the hard of hearing and deaf. In 2016, the building was equipped with several types of inductive loop – stationary (at cash registers, audio guide rental, Play Department reception, library information desk and the first rows of the auditorium audience) and neck-worn – 20 devices which can be connected to audio guides. In addition we also offer a mobile (suitcase) induction loop for organising events attended by hearing aid users in different parts of the building.

For the visually impaired, blind or individuals with disabilities affecting spatial orientation, the building’s marking system has been expanded to include:
➾ cloakroom markings
➾ cash register and audio guide rental markings
➾ restaurant markings – two-sided signs
➾ café markings – two-sided signs
➾ signs pointing to the locations of toilets
➾ two-sided general information boards
➾ glass door stickers and decals
➾ horizontal and vertical surfaces marked with hazard tape
➾ arrow markings on exhibition room floors
➾ underground parking entrance/exit markings
➾ main, side and summer entrance door markings, with arrow markings for door handles
➾ info boards in lifts
➾ horizontal surface markings near the cash registers

An evacuation procedure for the disabled was implemented for the ESC building in June 2021.