Barrier-free Services and Facilities

The tactile floor information in the Parliament Building begins at the middle door of the main entrance for visitors. The tactile floor guidance system in the entrance area leads to the Info-security-desk on the left and straight ahead to the scanner lanes. 

The scanner lanes ensure security in Parliament. They are used to check whether you are carrying any dangerous objects.

After the security check, you enter a high-ceilinged room with pillars. This is the Vestibule. The tactile floor guidance system changes here. Instead of the recessed lines in the floor, you walk along a 120 cm wide carpet. The red carpet runners are used as a tactile floor guidance system where there is historically-valuable flooring in the Parliament Building.

You then reach a set of seven steps. There is a 140 cm wide ramp on each side of the steps. These steps and ramps lead to the largest room of the Visitor Center, the so-called Agora. The tactile floor guidance leads you to the central Infodesk Agora in the middle of the room.

The cloakroom is located in the front section of the Agora on the right. From the Vestibule, take the seven steps up to the level of the Agora. Instead of the steps, you can also use the ramps on the left and right. Then turn right immediately. The path to the cloakroom is marked with three tactile floor guidelines.

You can leave your belongings in the cloakroom free of charge. You will receive a tag with a number. Keep the tag in a safe place. You will receive your items back once you have handed in the tag.

At the back of the cloakroom on the left wall are lockable storage units. 

Some of these are barrier-free and are reserved for visitors who require them.
They also have tactile signage.

All information points have an inductive hearing system and are marked with a pictogram. These are:

• Both information points at the entrance, left and right before the security check
• Infodesk Agora
• Information desk of the Library

The National Council Chamber, the Federal Council Chamber, and other large meeting rooms in Parliament, have a comprehensive induction system. These rooms are also marked with an induction loop pictogram.

Mobile hearing systems with headphones and neckloops (induction) can be requested upon registration. These are used for guided tours and events in rooms without built-in induction systems.

QR codes are used throughout the Parliament Building to retrieve information.

For tactile information, there is an attention indicator on the floor. It is a square with a smaller square inside it.

The signs with the QR codes are always attached to the left of the corresponding station. They are mounted at an easily reachable height either vertically or at an angle on the wall or on the media tables.

There is a tactile marking by the top left-hand corner of the QR codes. It consists of two raised lines forming a right angle. The angle points towards the top-left. There are three raised dots on the inside of the angle.

The orientation stations are located in the Agora. You can enter the Agora via steps or via the ramps to the left and right of the steps. At the top of the steps, follow the tactile floor guidelines straight ahead. The first junction leads to the cloakroom. If you continue straight ahead, you will reach a crossing. This can be felt as an empty attention indicator. The orientation stations are located approximately two meters to the left and right of this attention indicator.

All orientation information here is based on the simplified three-sense principle:

• High-contrast floor plan display
• Tactile floor plan
• Audio information and texts in several language levels and in English

The orientation stations show the public areas of the building. These are the areas where visitors can move around independently. Even though it is not a public area, the 1st floor is also shown at these stations. This is the center of Parliament and is where all the state rooms and halls are located.
The 1st floor can only be visited on a guided tour.

Barrier-free toilets are available on every level of the Building.

Barrier-free toilet facilities for visitors can be found in the basement accessed via the main staircases 1 and 4. They can be found via the tactile floor guidance.

If you are a wheelchair user and would like to use a toilet next to the reading room, you can receive information in the reading room.

All barrier-free toilets have an alarm system with a light and sound signal and an emergency button.

The Parliament Building was renovated and modernized from 2017 to 2022. Great emphasis was placed on accessibility. The Building reopened on 12 January 2023, and all areas of Parliament are now accessible without steps.

The alarm system is based on the multi-sense principle. All alarms are given with a strong acoustic signal and a light signal.

The escape routes lead through several marked exits. There are safe meeting points in the stairwells for people who cannot escape via the stairs on their own. These safe meeting points are marked with the green wheelchair icon. Emergency intercom systems are located there. These will connect you to the security center on the ground floor of Parliament. Evacuation teams will be with you within a few minutes.

All employees in the Visitor Center Demokratikum - Experience Parliament, guides and security staff are trained in dealing with people with disabilities.