Design for all - campaign and events
ETH Zurich is committed to accessibility: over the course of the next few years, people with disabilities or people with special needs should benefit from greatly improved access to ETH buildings and services.
Switzerland ratified the external pageUN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) back in 2014. Nevertheless, people with disabilities continue to face obstacles on a daily basis, be it when accessing buildings, information or events. To draw attention to, raise awareness, and inform, ETH Zurich is participating in the external pageNational Action Days for Disability Rights (German page). These take place in Switzerland from May 15 to June 15, 2024
Accessibility concerns us all: Every person is confronted with more or less significant obstacles on a daily basis. Depending on physical conditions, the boundaries imposed by the environment vary. Due to accidents, illnesses, or aging, obstacles such as stair steps, small font sizes, or poor room acoustics can suddenly become insurmountable hindrances, leading to the exclusion of individuals with limitations or disabilities.
ETH Zürich is striving to minimise these barriers, or better yet eliminate them altogether, so that everyone can enjoy largely barrier-free access to university buildings and services. The aim is that the University’s design offers everyone the fullest possible access to buildings and services – according to the “design for all” standard. This is why the campaign motif is plasticine. Our environment – our architecture, our technology, our processes and our way of thinking – are not set in stone. They can be moulded and reshaped to allow more people to participate. As part of the National Action Days for Disability Rights, ETH is presenting the "Design for all" campaign and organizing various events: learn sign language in the "Café des Signes", change your perspective in the awareness-raising workshop, explore the ETH buildings with the new barrier-free app "PolyMaps", or visit the newly equipped and barrier-free learning workstations of the ETH Library.
Barrier-free access to the events
We are taking action to ensure barrier-free access to the events taking place during the Action Days at ETH Zurich. Contact us at for further information.
Do you wish to have sign language interpretation at one of the events? Please inform us at least two weeks prior to the event.
A campaign “Design for all” on posters and screens raises awareness of the importance of establishing an inclusive teaching and research environment – ideally free of all barriers, obstacles and limitations. After all, this is an issue that affects us all: every day, we all encounter obstacles – some easier, others harder to overcome. The limitations imposed on us by our surroundings vary depending on our physical condition. Due to an accident, an illness or simply getting older, factors such as a steep flight of stairs, tiny print or poor room acoustics can suddenly present insurmountable barriers that exclude people with limited mobility or disabilities.
ETH Zürich is striving to minimise these barriers, or better yet eliminate them altogether, so that everyone can enjoy largely barrier-free access to university buildings and services. The aim is that the University’s design offers everyone the fullest possible access to buildings and services – according to the “design for all” standard. This is why the campaign motif is plasticine. Our environment – our architecture, our technology, our processes and our way of thinking – are not set in stone. They can be moulded and reshaped to allow more people to participate.
In this workshop, you will learn about the obstacles people with disabilities face on a daily basis and discover approaches to removing these obstacles. In A Change of Perspective, you will gain first-hand experience in a wheelchair or with a cane, simulation glasses or with hearing impairments, and feel how people with disabilities perceive their surroundings and what they have to do to find their way around. (With experts from external pageSensability.)
- 23.05.24, 4-6pm, ETH Hönggerberg, HIT E 51 (German)
Registration is required. Participation is reserved for members of ETH Zurich. To register, please send an email with your first and last name and the requested date to .
Each workshop is limited to 20 people. If you register and fail to attend, you will be charged a CHF 50 contribution towards expenses.
The external pageCafé des Signes is a pop-up bistro: For a few hours, it transforms an existing restaurant into a meeting zone for deaf and hearing people. Afterward, it disappears, but the experience remains.
The Café des Signes is a project of the external pageSwiss Federation of the Deaf (SGB-FSS) aimed at raising awareness of sign language and deaf culture among a broad audience. In a relaxed atmosphere, hearing guests learn more about sign language and interact with deaf individuals. Deaf service staff serve guests, answer questions, and, if desired, assist in learning how to place orders in sign language.
- 31.05.24, 2-4pm, Campus Hönggerberg, Alumni Lounge
No registration is required.
Finding your way made easy: Indoor Navigation at ETH Zurich
A meeting, a presentation, or a lecture is about to start in a few minutes, but the pathways through the ETH buildings are confusing? The new indoor navigation system, PolyMaps, helps you find the fastest way. If desired, PolyMaps also indicates accessible routes, i.e., without stairs or steps.
PolyMaps is the new indoor navigation system at ETH Zurich. Explore how to use the new indoor navigation during a guided lunch tour. You will also get an impression of the barriers that can limit the way and the alternative accessible routes shown by PolyMaps.
- May 29, 2024, 12:00-12:45 PM, ETH Zentrum (The exact meeting point will be added to this website in advance.)
If you wish, we offer a lunch snack. Please register for it at . (No registration is required if you do not wish to have a lunch snack.)
Books or Screens: What does an accessible library need?
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or state-of-the-art workspaces? What do students need in the libraries of ETH Zurich? We say, it needs both. Discover what makes the ETH Library more accessible.
ETH Zurich's library has been expanding its offering of physical media with electronic media for many years. Offering these electronic media in an accessible way is the next goal. For this purpose, the ETH Library has introduced new services and created accessible study spaces. Explore the new offerings of ETH Library during a lunch tour.
- May 16, 2024, 12:00-12:45 PM, ETH Zentrum (The exact meeting point will be added to this website in advance.)
If you wish, we offer a lunch snack. Please register for it at . (No registration is required if you do not wish to have a lunch snack.)
There will be a showcase of the "Barrier-Free at ETH Zurich" programme in the exhibition area at the building OCT in Oerlikon. Measures that have already been implemented and those currently in planning will be presented (German text only) with interactive elements, with the audience encouraged to try them out. Exhibits, photographs and videos provide an insight into the ways in which ETH is making itself more accessible.
- From 09.05.23 (until 2024), 7:30am-6pm (Mo-Fr), Oerlikon, OCT, E floor (next to the reception)
No registration is required.
A description of the exhibition content and photos with alternative texts can be found on the website Exhibition "Barrier-free at ETH Zurich".
You can find a full overview of all courses and workshops on our Internal IT courses page.
Course: Accessible websites - focus on AEM components (with Matija Pavic, Corporate Communications)
In this course, you will learn how to improve the accessibility of AEM websites.
- 23.05.24, 10.30-11.15am, online (German)
Registration is required. The target group are AEM authors at ETH Zurich.
Workshop: Digital accessibility - sensitization and introduction (with Manu Heim, Corporate Communication)
This workshop provides knowledge on the topic of digital accessibility.
- 28.05.24, 8am-12pm, online (English)
- 12.06.24, 8.15am-12.15pm, online (German)
Registration is required: Registration for 28.05. and Registration for 12.06.
Course: Online presentation for a diverse audience (with Manu Heim, Corporate Communication)
This course provides specific tips on accessibility: What should I pay attention to when presenting online?
- 29.05.24, 9.30-10.30am, online (German)
- 14.06.24, 9-10am, online (English)
Registration is required: Registration for 29.05. and Registration for 14.06.
Course: How to write good alternative texts (with Manu Heim, Corporate Communication)
In this course you will learn how to write good alternative texts for images.
- 06.06.24, 11am-12pm, online, (English)
Registration is required.
Course: Accessible Moodle courses (with Anton Bolfing, Educational Development and Technology)
In this course you will learn how to create accessible Moodle courses and content and how to use the necessary tools to make them accessible to all students.
- 28.05.24, 15.15-16.45pm, HG D 18.1 (German / English on request)
Registration is required.
Course: Accessible documents, PDF & Office (with Anton Bolfing, Educational Development and Technology)
In this course you will learn how to create accessible PDF documents (from MS Word) so that the documents are accessible and "readable" for everyone.
- 15.05.24, 2.30-4.45pm, online (German / English on request)
- 27.05.24, 2.30-4.45pm, HG D 18.1 (German / English on request)
- 10.06.24, 2.30-4.45pm, HG D 18.1 (German / English on request)
Registration is required.
Workshop: Digital Accessibility (with Anton Bolfing, Educational Development and Technology)
In this workshop you will learn the basics of understanding measures and adaptations to improve digital accessibility. At the end of this course you will be able to
- Describe what digital accessibility (e-accessibility) is all about and where digital accessibility is particularly important in teaching.
- Review and assess your own learning materials for accessibility.
- Create accessible learning materials or at least find support for creating accessible content.
- 28.05.24, 9am-1pm, HG D 18.1 (German / English on request)
Registration is required. The registration link will be added to this website later.
Sight and hearing impairments, as well as cognitive limitations or learning difficulties, affect many students. However, many of these students may not want to explicitly expose themselves as affected individuals to teaching staff or fellow students. Making teaching at ETH Zurich and the associated teaching materials more accessible from the outset is therefore the goal for the coming years. In our 'Refresh Teaching' event, teaching staff can learn exactly how to achieve this.
Refresh Teaching is aimed at teaching staff at ETH Zurich seeking new inputs for the design of their courses. This edition focuses on possibilities for creating teaching materials and course content in an accessible manner. Experts and instructors provide insights into how teaching and the utilized teaching materials can be made more accessible. In addition to tips that can be implemented quickly, there are personal experience reports from lecturers on the implementation of accessibility in their courses. Where do they start, what challenges did they face and how were they solved?
- 21.05.24, 12.15-13.15pm, online (English)
The event will be conducted in English. No registration is required. The link to the event will be added to this website.
Many of ETH Zurich’s free, public tours are wheelchair-friendly. Many of the tours are also available in sign language on request or are specifically designed for people with impaired vision.
The listed dates below fall within the National Action Days for Disability Rights, from May 15 to June 15, 2024. A complete overview of all tours can be found under Public Tours. (To see which of the tours are accessible, you need to click on 'Show More' on the respective tour's information page.)
Wheelchair-accessible tours and, upon request, also available with sign language (in German)
- 21.05.24, Unten durch - Zu Besuch bei Swissloop in Dübendorf
- 04.06.24, 3D-Modelle für die Krebsforschung - Wie Krebszellen mit ihrer Umgebung kommunizieren
Especially suitable for people with visual impairments
The public tours take place between 6.15 and 7.15 pm on Tuesday evenings. Please register by clicking on the title of the tour linked above. After registration, you will receive further information about the exact meeting point.
external page«Wheelchair basketball! live» gives you the opportunity to get a taste of wheelchair sport in general and wheelchair basketball in particular. You learn to move around in a wheelchair and train your agility with it. As if that wasn't enough of a challenge, you'll practice passing and hone your throwing technique. Of course we also want to play: A highlight of the offer is the 3x3 game. Challenge accepted?
The offer is open to both pedestrians and wheelchair users and is suitable for all fitness levels. The prerequisite is curiosity, the joy of trying things out and the openness to leave your comfort zone.
- 25.05.24, 12-2pm, external pageSport Center Hönggerberg
The event is organized by external pageASVZ in collaboration with external pageSwiss Paraplegic Association. A valid ASVZ membership is not necessary, the event is public. No registration is required.
Disability is a crucial aspect of diversity that influences life, work, and education in the academic world. Three renowned experts from different academic institutions will help us understand the impact of discrimination at universities and the barriers associated with disabilities that restrict the development of educational and career paths in scientific careers. In this workshop, we will explore possibilities to design more accessible spaces (such as classrooms and university campuses) and create more inclusive learning technologies and strategies for education, scientific exchange, or career development.
The workshop features contributions from three distinguished scholars: external pageProf. Jay Dolmage (University of Waterloo); external pageDr. Sally Lindsay (University of Toronto); and external pageProf. Jonathan Levitt (University of Wolverhampton).
- 22.05.24, 2-4pm, online (English)
The event will be conducted in English and is organized by AVETH. No registration is required. The link to the online workshop will be added to this website.
Explore the power of diversity in the workplace! Join an event focusing on navigating the professional world with a focus on autism. Gain insights into job prospects, coping with challenges, and successfully navigating job interviews.
Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of being different and using them appropriately to successfully enter the professional world: The ETH Career Center and ETH Diversity invite students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, and interested members of the ETH community to this event, where experts will share their experiences on autism and entering the workforce.
- What career prospects do students/graduates in the autism spectrum have?
- What are the challenges, and how do you deal with them?
- How openly should one address the topic during the application process?
- How do you find the right employer?
- How can you best prepare for a job interview?
Experts will address these and other important questions, providing insights and tips.
The event is aimed at graduates with a background in STEM fields, but we welcome anyone interested in the topic (graduates from other institutions, family members, employers, etc.).
- 12.06.24, 5.15-6.30 pm, Online Event (English)
The event will be conducted in English and is organized by the ETH Career Center and ETH Diversity. No registration is required. The link to the online event will be added to this website
All events taking place in the canton of Zurich, both ETH Zurich events and events organized by other campaign partners, can be found on the external page"Zukunft Inklusion" programme website.
Barrier-free at ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich is committed to being barrier-free: over the course of the next few years, people with disabilities or special needs – whether students, teachers, researchers, staff or visitors – should benefit from greatly improved access to ETH buildings and services.
The proposed measures will be implemented in 14 subprojects under three categories: “Construction, building usage and architecture”, “Organisation and culture” and “Technology, communication and teaching”.
For more information on the programme and the 14 subprojects, visit the programme website.