Accessibility as a hallmark of SightCity 2024

Accessibility as a trademark: SightCity 2024 sets new standards for inclusive events

Detailed description of the accessibility measures

Frankfurt, 2024 – SightCity is more than just a trade fair; it is an international meeting place that offers people with visual impairments a unique platform to find out about the latest aids and technologies – in an environment that emphasizes accessibility. The organizers of SightCity have also taken special measures for 2024 to ensure that all aspects of the fair are accessible and that every visitor can have an enriching and enjoyable experience.

These measures include guidelines within the exhibition building that provide orientation and safety. In addition, trade fair guides will be available at Frankfurt Central Station to accompany visitors to and from the trade fair free of charge. These guides, traditionally easily recognizable by their yellow polo shirts with the SightCity logo, also provide a rental service as personal assistants for the trade fair event – an option that visitors can book in advance on the SightCity website.

The support also includes digital innovations such as the digital trade fair compass, an audio version that was created jointly by the Hesse Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BSBH) and the German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBSV) and is available online around three weeks before the event. Infopoints on all levels of the venue next to the elevators offer further help and information.

Innovative technologies and digital support

As the venue for SightCity 2024, Kap Europa complements the promise of accessibility with its existing accessibility standards. But the trade fair goes even further: visitors have the opportunity to obtain tactile printouts of the hall plan, the SightCity Forum program and the exhibitor list in Braille at reception, making the visit much easier for people with visual impairments.

There are also two Tactonom Reader stations in the foyer. The Tactonom Reader is an innovative device that enables blind and severely visually impaired people to independently access graphic learning material. By combining the sense of touch and spoken explanations, even complex content can be understood. This system is particularly valuable for exploring the SightCity building in advance and getting a “tactile impression”.

The indoor navigation app from MindTags, also used at SightCity 2024, is another achievement in the field of accessible information technology. This app allows users to access barrier-free information in their surroundings and be guided effortlessly through indoor spaces, which is particularly beneficial in a venue as extensive as Kap Europa.

Finally, the SightCity website, which is barrier-free in accordance with international standards, supports broad accessibility in the digital space and guarantees that anyone interested, regardless of physical limitations, can easily obtain information about the fair and participate in preparation for and during the fair, e.g. in the presentations.

In the SightCity Forum, an additional sound transmission system ensures that there are no barriers for hearing-impaired people during all presentations.