Accessibility Services (ZAB)

ZAB Newsletter on accessibility at Bielefeld University and beyond

Newsletter April 2025

ZAB Newsletter on accessibility at Bielefeld University and beyond

The ZAB is the central point for all matters relating to accessibility and active participation of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses at Bielefeld University.

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For all

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European Day of Protest for the Equality for People with Disabilities

The European Day of Protest for the Equality of People with Disabilities will take place on 5th May. In Bielefeld there will be various activities, a demonstration and various information stands on this day under the motto "You don't have the choice". The ZAB will be representing Bielefeld University with an information stand on the Alter Markt. Various materials will be used to present ways of implementing anti-discriminatory and barrier-free communication in everyday life.

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Open Day of the Accessibility Services (ZAB)

We are pleased to invite all staff and students to our Open Day on 7th May. From 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. we will open our corridor in the main building (B2-253 - B2-318) for you to explore our themed rooms, get to know our projects and chat with us over drinks and waffles. You can also visit our specially equipped workspaces B1-241 and B1-243.

Please bring your own mugs for hot and cold drinks. We look forward to an exciting afternoon with you!

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Panel discussion "School without Ableism?!" published on YouTube

At the 6th ZAB Barrier-Free Forum on 27th November 2024, Andrea Schöne, Mareice Kaiser and Prof. Dr. Martin Heinrich spoke in a panel discussion about the discrimination-sensitive and inclusive design of schools and society. We are delighted that the entire panel discussion is now available as a video on YouTube. You can watch it here: YouTube link.

On the topic of "School without Ableism?!", the panel discussion was able to discuss various facets of ableism in education, historical backgrounds, roles of parents and families as well as ways to create inclusive learning environments and reduce prejudice. For anyone who is interested in the topic or missed the panel discussion, the video offers a valuable opportunity to gain deeper insights into these important areas. It's worth watching and thinking along!

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For Students

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Welcome Back on Campus with ZAB information stand

On 9th April, the Student Health Management team invites you to the "Welcome Back on Campus" event in the central university hall between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Together with numerous departments and student university groups, the aim is to welcome (new) students. At various stands, the numerous advice centres and providers invite you to join in, try things out and find out more.

The ZAB is also represented with an information stand and is available for questions and dialogue.

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Studienstart Barrierefrei (registration deadline: 13th April)

Dear students with disabilities, chronic or mental illness, we would like to draw your attention to our peer mentoring programme "Studienstart Barrierefrei", which will take place for the 6th time in the summer semester 2025.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to get to know life at Bielefeld University, advice and support services, helpful information about studying with a disability or illness, as well as fellow students in similar life situations.

"Studienstart Barrierefrei" runs for one semester at a time and welcomes all students who encounter barriers to their studies due to mental, physical or sensory impairments.

Registration is now possible until Sunday, 13th April 2025. Are you interested? You can find more information, contact details and registration forms on our Studienstart website.

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Student assistants wanted for the European Day of Protest!

On the European Day of Protest for the Equality of People with Disabilities, you are needed! We are looking for students who would like to take on individual support tasks on 5th May from 10:45 a.m. to a maximum of 2:00 p.m. and accompany people with support needs during the demonstration procession and when visiting the action stands on the Alter Markt. The specific time period and the exact tasks will be determined individually. Mimi Konstanty from the Neue Schmiede will coordinate and bring together assistants and people with support needs.

If you are interested and have any questions, please contact Mimi Konstanty by email at assistenz@ksl-owl.de by 21th April at the latest. We look forward to your participation and thank you very much for it!

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Students or prospective students with disabilities, chronic, or mental illnesses can find comprehensive information on the ZAB student portal.

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For Employees

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Lecture "Digital accessibility in practice - farewell to black-and-white thinking"

As part of the network meeting on barrier-free IT, we cordially invite all interested parties to the lecture by Gottfried Zimmermann on the topic of "Digital accessibility in practice - farewell to black-and-white thinking". In his presentation, Prof. Zimmermann will first introduce digital accessibility and its practical implementation. He then reveals common black-and-white thinking patterns and encourages reflection on more differentiated and pragmatic approaches.

The lecture will take place on 23th April from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. via Zoom. It will be held in German. Registration is possible via Zoom: Zoom Registration

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Representatives of the SBV / ZAB elected to the board of LASH NRW

In March, Michael Johannfunke, the representative for severely disabled people at Bielefeld University, and Valérie Wittek, an employee of the representative body for severely disabled people, were jointly elected to the board of the state working group of representatives for severely disabled people at colleges, universities, university hospitals and university-related institutions in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Michael Johannfunke will once again take over the chairmanship for four years, while Valérie Wittek will act as managing director. LASH NRW represents a total of 42 institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia and around 5,000 employees with severe disabilities.

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Employees with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses can find detailed information on the ZAB employee portal of the representative body for severely disabled employees.

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Contact: zab@uni-bielefeld.de

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/zab/

ZAB Newsletter from the 7th April 2025

Newsletter January 2025

ZAB Newsletter on accessibility at Bielefeld University and beyond

The ZAB is the central point for all matters relating to accessibility and active participation of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses at Bielefeld University.

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For all

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New year and new location—we have moved the entire team into the new building on the B2 corridor. The two workspaces for students have also relocated and are fully usable as of this week. You can now find them in B1-241 and B1-243. We are excited about the new rooms and look forward to your visit!

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A Collection of Laws for Everyone

The new desktop application "Bielefelder Barrierefreie Gesetzessammlung" (BBG) is a software project in the field of digital accessibility, developed by ZAB in cooperation with the Chair of Civil Law, Civil Procedure Law, Legal Methodology, Digitalization Law, and Legal Tech at the Faculty of Law. The BBG enables law students to independently and freely access all exam-relevant legal texts. This year, the BBG is making its debut in connection with an application for compensation for disadvantages.

The first release includes an accessible display of laws as well as a law and paragraph search function. Users can also add bookmarks during a session, allowing them to quickly navigate between relevant content—similar to a physical collection of legal texts.

From the very beginning, accessibility has been a core focus of development, continuously refined through close collaboration with law students. In its developer version, the BBG is fully perceivable and navigable using screen readers. Compliance with the mandatory BITV.NRW criteria is also being tested during development, with full implementation expected in the first official release.

In addition to the exam version, which is currently most advanced for macOS, an adapted version for teaching purposes will be developed in the near future. This version will include additional features and an expanded database, giving all students access to a wider range of legal texts.

More information on this topic can be found on the BBG project website within the ZAB’s online presence.

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Autism Networking Group

Are you a student or employee with autism at Bielefeld University who would like to connect with others on the autism spectrum on campus? Then join the networking group "In the Spectrum"!

This group is open to all individuals with an autism diagnosis who study or work at Bielefeld University. The networking meetings will be designed as a peer-led support group, by and for individuals on the autism spectrum, and will begin in December 2024.

Interested participants can find more information on the "In the Spectrum" website. Currently, there is a waiting list.

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For Students

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Medical School OWL

Looking for: Students with disabilities to participate in the interdisciplinary seminar: Medicine for People with Disabilities. Raising awareness — Changing perspectives.

In mid-March 2025, the Medical School OWL is going to launch a new seminar format aimed at raising awareness among future medical professionals about the needs of people with disabilities. The seminar seeks students with disabilities or chronic illnesses to pair with medical students in tandem teams. Through artistic projects, the seminar aims to foster a shift in perspective and a deeper understanding of disability, as well as inclusive healthcare practices.

The seminar is divided into three parts.

For more information on the seminar content, dates, and registration, please visit ekvv.

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Looking for: Students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses

The project ‘Digital Accessibility Checking and Simulation’, DACHS for short, invites students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses to report on their experiences of studying at Bielefeld University!

In order to raise awareness of the challenges and needs in everyday student life, we would like to record your individual experiences with the help of interviews and pass them on anonymously.

We look forward to your valuable contributions!

If you have any questions or are interested, please write to us in confidence at dachs@uni-bielefeld.de.

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Students or prospective students with disabilities, chronic, or mental illnesses can find comprehensive information on the ZAB student portal.

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For Employees

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Training for web developers

The Competence Center is offering a training course on accessible web development for developers for all universities in NRW on 9 April. This workshop will cover the fundamentals and techniques of accessible web development according to WCAG 2.2, the design of interactive HTML elements, and the correct use of ARIA. The event will take place online via Zoom from 10 AM to 3 PM. Registration for the workshop is possible on the website.

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Knowledge Badge “Barrier-free teaching"

The Knowledge Badge “Barrierefrei lehren” (KB-BFL) is aimed at teachers and anyone interested in expanding their (teaching) skills in the field of digital accessibility. To prepare for the Knowledge Badge exam, you can use the free learning course “Knowledge Badge - Barrier-free teaching”. The Knowledge Badge can be obtained by passing a free examination and is valid for five years. It can be renewed as often as required by retaking the exam. The exam is conducted in German. Further information and registration for the exam at Bielefeld University on March 24, 2025 at 2 PM. can be found on the IAAP-DACH website.

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Employees with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses can find detailed information on the ZAB employee portal of the representative body for severely disabled employees.

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Contact: zab@uni-bielefeld.de

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/zab/

ZAB Newsletter from the 5th February 2025

Newsletter Oktober 2024

 

For all

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5th ZAB Forum Barrier-free on 27.11.24 at 6 pm in X-E0-002 or via livestream

School without Ableism?! - Panel discussion on the discrimination-sensitive and inclusive design of schools and society

In our panel, experts will discuss the facets of ableism in schools and how an appreciative learning environment can be created. How can prejudices be reduced and what kind of awareness of diversity is needed? Our guests are Andrea Schöne, journalist and anti-ableism trainer, Mareice Kaiser, journalist and author, and Prof. Dr. Martin Heinrich, expert for school development, and the audience is invited to actively participate. Further information on the forum will be available on our website in the next few days.

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New ZAB Postcards to raise awareness of accessibility – Available again soon in the University canteen

At the end of September, the ZAB starts with the second distribution of free postcards in the University canteen, which creatively addresses the topics of disability, equality and accessibility. The postcards are not only visually appealing, but also contain sayings such as ‘B(arrier)efrei Dich!’ or ‘Wo kommt man da nur hin? Nutze UniMaps’. On the back, there are short explanations and a QR code that leads to the website Postcards for raising awareness with more detailed information and practical tips.

The cards are also available directly in the ZAB.

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We are looking for speakers!

Together with the Bielefeld University’s Career Service, the ZAB organizes online talks and lectures on the topic “Applying for jobs with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses” each semester since the summer term 2023. For the upcoming event on the 25th of January, we are looking for people, e.g. employees or graduates of Bielefeld University, who would like to talk about their experiences in the application process and career entry. We would be happy if you tell us about your experiences in an online talk with students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Anika Voigt.

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Autism Networking Group

Are you a student or employee with autism at Bielefeld University and would you like to exchange ideas with other people on the autism spectrum on the Bielefeld campus? Then become part of the networking group “Im Spektrum”! The group is aimed at all people with an autism diagnosis who study or work at Bielefeld University. The networking meetings will be designed in the style of a self-help group by people on the autism spectrum for people on the autism spectrum and will start in December 2024. Those interested can find further information on the website "In the spectrum".

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For students

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Register for the ZAB Peer-Mentoring programme until the 13th of October: “Studienstart Barrierefrei” (study start accessible) enters the 5th round in the winter term 2024/2025.

As part of the programme “Studienstart Barrierefrei” (study start accessible), experienced students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses from higher semesters support students with disabilities or illnesses, who are either new at Bielefeld University or who encounter barriers during their studies. You can find all information about the program and registration on the website.

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Final theses in the ZAB

Did you know that both final theses and project thesis can be written at the ZAB? If you are interested in advancing accessibility at Bielefeld University with your thesis, please use the link provided to find out about potential thesis and project topics or contact us directly by email. We are looking forward to your thesis!

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Students or prospective students with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses can find detailed information on the ZAB student portal.

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For employees

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We would like to take this opportunity to once again draw your attention to the Directive on the Implementation of the Rehabilitation and Participation of People with Disabilities (SGB IX) in the Public Sector in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Directive SGB IX), which was revised and published this year. The directive significantly strengthens the rights of people with disabilities who are employed by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and, in particular, at universities. The possibilities of compensation for disadvantages in working life and the rights to make use of these are described in detail in the directive. Further information on your rights in the employment relationship at the universities of the state of NRW can also be found on the employee portal of the Representative Body for Severely Disabled Persons/ZAB Accessibility Services.

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New Competence centre for accessible digital university administration

The newly founded Competence centre for accessible digital university administration.NRW offers testing service of digital applications, websites and documents for all university administrations in NRW. There are also support services for the procurement and development of accessible systems.

Funding from the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) is available until 2026. For consultation appointments, further education and accessibility tests, please contact the competence centre by e-mail.

Save the date: To mark the start of the competence centre, a kick-off event will take place on the 3rd of December at 10:00 a.m. with presentations by Michael Wahl and Prof. Dr. Benjamin Tannert on the topic of digital accessibility.

Further information can be found on our website.

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Mental Health Week

From the 10th to 20th October 2024, the Mental Health Action Alliance organizes this year’s awareness week under the motto “Hand in hand for mental health in the workplace”. Several different events are being organised nationwide for this purpose.

In addition to the nationwide event calendar, the city of Bielefeld also presents local events on its website.

Furthermore, you can find detailed information on consulting services on the website of the awareness week.

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Employees with disabilities, chronic or mental illnesses can find detailed information on the ZAB employee portal of the representative body for severely disabled employees.

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Contact: zab@uni-bielefeld.de

https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/zab/

ZAB Newsletter from the 10th October 2024