Accessibility Services
ZAB - Accessibility services
Strengthening the participation of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses in everyday university life
As the central point of contact at Bielefeld University, the ZAB strengthens the participation of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses. We provide support with expertise in barrier-free and diversity-sensitive university development, digital accessibility and all questions relating to studying and working with disabilities.
Projects and co-operations
Competence centre for barrier-free digital university administration.NRW
The Competence Centre for Accessible Digital University Administration.NRW is concerned with ensuring that digital administrative applications at universities in NRW are accessible in the long term. It checks applications for accessibility, integrates corresponding requirements into procurement and development processes and offers training and advice. This improves accessibility throughout the entire administrative process and increases usability for all users.
Find out more about the competence centre
BBG: The Bielefeld Barrier-free Collection of Laws
The Bielefelder Barrierefreie Gesetzessammlung (BBG) is an examination and learning application designed to enable the barrier-free presentation of legal texts.
UniMaps: The app for barrier-free campus navigation
UniMaps is an app for barrier-free navigation on the campus of Bielefeld University, which is being developed by and with students at the Accessibility Centre.
Peer mentoring: getting off to a good start in everyday university life
With the peer mentoring programme, the ZAB of Bielefeld University offers you the opportunity to get to know other students in similar life situations.
Latest news
05.02.2026 - "Inclusive University NRW" funding programme extended until the end of 2028
22.01.2026 - ZAB - Forum Accessibility at the art/science festival "hören"
08.01.2026 - Four years of SHUFFLE - A project coming to an end, the impact remains
19.12.2025 - ZAB annual review 2025
11.12.2025 - Training on accessibility in IT procurement
Information portals of the ZAB
Portal for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses
The portal informs students and prospective students with disabilities or chronic illnesses about counselling and support services. The portal presents services such as disadvantage compensation, barrier-free workspaces, technical aids and peer mentoring.
Portal for employees on accessible and inclusive working conditions
The portal informs employees and applicants about accessible and inclusive working conditions at Bielefeld University. Support is offered on topics such as applications, workplace adaptation and digital and structural accessibility.
More about the portal for employees
DACHS: An interactive portal for the requirements of barrier-free teaching
DACHS (Digital Accessibility Checking and Simulation) is an interactive portal that sensitises teaching staff to the requirements of accessible teaching and teaches skills for implementation. The portal provides simulations of different impairments.
Aus der ZAB
The ZAB team: Competent support for barrier-free studying and working
A diverse team supports you with questions about barrier-free studying and working at Bielefeld University. With expertise in diversity development in the university context, digital accessibility and studying and working with a disability or chronic illness, we help to break down barriers.
Language compass: recognising ableist language and promoting inclusive language
The Language Compass checks German texts for potentially derogatory wording. If the tool recognises discriminatory or derogatory language towards people with disabilities or illnesses, it points this out. It then suggests suitable, respectful and inclusive alternatives.
Digital accessibility on Instagram: News, projects and impulses from the ZAB
The ZAB shares news, interviews, projects, events, links and tips on digital accessibility via Instagram. In addition, the ZAB publishes photos, drawings and text-image combinations relating to disability, university and accessibility.
Barrier-free campus: Why is accessibility important?
Accessibility not only affects people with disabilities, but people of all ages - everyone benefits from it. For around 10% of people, it is essential in order to actively participate in life, for example blind, visually impaired or deaf people. For a further 30 to 40%, accessibility is necessary to enable long-term participation, for example in the case of impairments or chronic illnesses. Accessibility increases comfort for all people, as performance and perceptual abilities decrease with age, as the example of a lift shows, which is necessary for some and simply helpful for others.
The Barrier-free Campus website presents a wide range of offers for barrier-free campus life at Bielefeld University. It provides information about accessible facilities and services such as barrier-free rooms, pathways, the university canteen, sports facilities and the library. The aim of the website is to provide orientation, make barriers visible and support equal participation in everyday university life.
More about the ZAB's barrier-free campus
Contact us
ZAB – Accessibility services
Email: zab@uni-bielefeld.de
Telephone: +49 521 106 - 12 600
Student counselling
Email: zab@uni-bielefeld.de
Representation for severely disabled persons
Email: sbv@uni-bielefeld.de
Digital accessible university administration.NRW
Email: barrierefreie-verwaltung@uni-bielefeld.de
Telephone: +49 521 106 - 86890
Digital accessible documents and data visualisations
Email: barrierefreie-dokumente@uni-bielefeld.de
Telephone: +49 521 106 - 2905