Whether people with disabilities can enter buildings without restriction and without assistance, or have access to information or areas of life, is a question of accessibility. These opportunities for participation are fundamental human rights. For around 15 years, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences has been working to become as accessible as possible. Staff, lecturers and students are involved in the Accessible University Working Group and, together with the relevant departments and committees, are driving important changes. This also takes into account disabilities that are not visible at first glance. Among other things, a low-stimulus retreat and relaxation room will soon be available.

Lifts, ramps and doors that open automatically – when it comes to accessibility, the focus is often on measures that enable people with mobility impairments to access buildings. But inclusion is actually much broader and encompasses, for example, visual and hearing impairments, mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism or ADHD. At Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, various departments are therefore working together to break down barriers for affected students, staff and lecturers, but also for everyone else. “We don’t want to cater to niche groups, but rather find solutions that help everyone,” says Claudia Krieten, who, as the Inclusive Learning Officer, advises students with disabilities. In her day-to-day work, she experiences a fundamentally open attitude towards inclusion. “There has been a noticeable increase in awareness of the issue. Instead of sticking to rigid rules, solutions are sought together with those affected. That is why, as a small university, we have already come so far in the area of inclusion.” 

Not special arrangements, but normality

Dirk Hagelstein, a computer science graduate, had this experience whilst studying computer science in Bremerhaven. He uses a wheelchair and joined the university at a time when accessibility was still very much a marginal issue. “At the start of my degree, many of my lectures were due to take place in a building without a lift. After just one week, all my lectures had been moved to the ground floor, even though I hadn’t mentioned it. That showed me that there is a climate of openness here,” he says. Since graduating in 2004, Hagelstein has worked as a research and technical assistant in the Laboratory for E-Learning and Virtual Worlds and, as a representative for people with severe disabilities, is an important point of contact at the university. He was there when the first measures were implemented around 15 years ago to make the campus accessible. Since then, there have been numerous innovations, particularly in the construction sector, which make access easier for people. In recent years, for instance, not only have automatic doors been fitted, but accessible pathways have been created and wheelchair-accessible toilets and lifts installed, amongst other things. It is not only people with disabilities who benefit from this. “Everything we do follows the motto: design for all. We don’t want costly special facilities for specific groups, but something that works for everyone. That way, a special solution becomes the norm,” says Dirk Hagelstein. One example is the toilet facilities on the ground floor of Building V. These have been designed as unisex toilets so that they can be used by anyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. To achieve this, the number of cubicles has been reduced to one per toilet. This has made it possible to avoid the need for cramped cubicles. At the same time, they provide a private space for people who have digestive problems due to chronic illnesses. Another example of ‘design for all’ is the audio system recently installed in the lecture theatres of Building S. 

Support services for students with disabilities

As well as physical disabilities, there are also those that remain invisible but are no less of a burden to those affected. These include, for example, mental health conditions or developmental disorders such as autism or ADHD. The university offers support in these areas too, for instance in the form of measures to compensate for disadvantages. Claudia Krieten knows what options are available. As the representative for inclusive studying, she provides individual advice even before students begin their studies. This covers, for example, alternative examination formats, special break arrangements or deadline extensions, so that academic success is not hindered by disabilities. Opportunities are also sought to address specific needs in everyday student life. “A great example is the quiet and relaxation room, which is due to open soon. It is a place to unwind for anyone who sometimes finds environmental stimuli too overwhelming,” says Dr Helga Schiwek, Head of the Strategy and Higher Education Planning Department.

The Accessible University Working Group and StudiTalk are driving inclusion forward 

The Accessible University Working Group was established eight years ago to advance accessibility at the university. It grew out of a team that had been assessing the state of accessibility through site inspections of the university’s buildings since January 2018. Meetings have been held regularly since October 2019, and the scope of the group’s work has long since expanded beyond the realm of facilities management. In 2020, the working group drafted the action plan for implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which sets out how the university aims to break down barriers step by step, promote equal opportunities and enable participation for all. The student peer-to-peer service StudiTalk also has its own inclusion group where students discuss barriers. They share information via a Messenger group. “We also support, as student staff, the organisation of events and the further advancement of inclusion at the university through various approaches, for example by evaluating and adapting the action plan of Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences,” says Laura Schröder from the StudiTalk “InkluZone”. In this way, students’ needs are also recognised and incorporated into planning. “We look out for one another. That’s what makes the atmosphere at this university so special,” says Dr Helga Schiwek. Word of this has now spread.  “The proportion of students with disabilities is increasing. I’m delighted about that,” says Dirk Hagelstein. 

Open to all – Action Day on 10 June

Thirteen years ago, Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences signed the Diversity Charter, thereby publicly committing to diversity. In 2024, it was awarded the “Shaping Diversity” certificate by the Stifterverband. Inclusion of people with disabilities is one aspect of this. At the annual Diversity Day, members of the university community can take part in workshops or, for example, attend a “Lunch in the Dark”. Blindfolded, they then experience how difficult it is to find their way around with a visual impairment. However, the university does not wish to be inclusive solely for its staff and students, but also to have an impact on society at large. For this reason, it organises events at irregular intervals that are open to anyone interested. Demand is high: more than forty people attended a lecture on autism last year. “We want to show that there are career prospects for people with disabilities and that, as a university, we are open to everyone,” says Claudia Krieten. The next event is already in the pipeline: on 10 June, starting at 10 am, the ‘Open to All’ action day will take place, during which not only will the university’s inclusion work be presented, but an inclusive campus tour will also raise awareness of barriers.

The application period for courses at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences is currently open. The deadline for applications is 15 August. Further information is available at www.hs-bremerhaven.de/studium. Anyone interested in studying who has a physical or mental disability can contact Claudia Krieten by email: ckrieten@hs-bremerhaven.de. Anyone interested in diversity and inclusion at the university can find information at www.hs-bremerhaven.de/ein-campus-fuer-alle. In addition, an action day on the topic of inclusion will take place on 10 June. Further information is available at www.hs-bremerhaven.de/offen-fuer-alle-aktionstag.