Our lessons learned on removing barriers
At the System Change Camp 2025, we specifically worked on reducing barriers at the camp for the first time.
Our experiences and perspectives on ableism and inclusion vary greatly. The entire process was full of incredible learning moments, which were expanded upon through feedback from people at and after the camp. We are incorporating these learnings into our concept, along with the results of an evaluation by two very experienced individuals. We would like to share with you a small selection of the things we have learned and what we would like to do differently this year:
– We would like to be able to invite deaf people to the camp as well. We have learned that interpretation between spoken German and German sign language must be requested very early on and is unfortunately usually expensive. In addition, when it comes to breaking down barriers for deaf people, we have noticed even more than with other people that good dialogue and networking with the deaf community is important.
– Workshops in Plain German and Easy German should be requested very early on, and there are generally very few available. We are therefore focusing on Plain German for the time being, as we are not yet confident that we can enable people who use easy language to truly participate and contribute to the camp. This remains a goal we are working towards.
– We would like to try to set up a shuttle service to make arrival and departure more accessible and flexible.
– We would like to enable more people to participate through an online offering. The scope and implementation of this are still very much open.
– We would like to create spaces at the camp that are suitable for immunocompromised/other chronically ill people and where everyone wears masks. We are still in the early stages of developing a concept for this.
– We want to have more quiet spaces available for individual retreat. To this end, we want to make the quiet tent quieter and offer quiet spaces in the surrounding area via the Bettenbörse (“bedding exchange”).
– We are planning larger signage for the tents, which should be complete from the outset if possible, and signposts to help with orientation.
– We tried out automated subtitling and interpretation with AI. It was an interesting experience, but we came to the conclusion that AI translation is not yet reliable enough.
– We neglected to specifically consider little people and received valuable suggestions and feedback on this matter. We will take this into consideration this year.
– We intend to acquire and install more floor panels. We also want to look into cable bridges that are better suited for mobility aids.
– We would like to have more opportunities to organize spontaneous activities.
– Buddies and everyday assistance, as well as arrival and departure assistance, were very helpful for people. Many people were picked up from or taken to the train station. In addition, new or shy people found it easier to get started at the camp with a buddy. The nursing and care assistance offered has not yet been taken up, but it will definitely continue this year!
Get in touch with us now if you would like to visit the camp and expect to encounter barriers and/or need assistance!
If you want to support us as an assistant, please feel free to contact us! Write an E-Mail to