Challenge: Accessibility of Cultural Events

The Opendata.ch association, in cooperation with several event data platform providers, is in the process of setting up a new working group on Open Event Data. One of the principles of the proposed Open Event Data Manifesto addressed at event producers and organizers as well as intermediaries providing data-related services reads as follows:

Promote the accessibility of your events by making accessibility-related information about the venues and the events themselves available in a standard format.

This greatly facilitates the orientation for people with special needs (physical, cognitive, mental health related, etc.) and allows them to more widely participate in social activities, thus contributing to a more inclusive society.

We suggest taking this as a starting point to reflect on different approaches to improve the information about the accessibility and inclusiveness of cultural events in Switzerland. Eventually, the goal will be to develop best practices and a roadmap for standardization and technical implementation that facilitate the dissemination of accessibility-related information pertaining to events.

Some initial ideas what could be worked on:

• Proof of Concept for the interlinking of venues referenced in the Ginto/Sitios database and Wikidata
• Proof of Concept for the inclusion of accessibility-related information on existing event platforms (interlinking of venues via Wikidata)
• Best Practice for the referencing of accessibility-related information on Wikidata: venues, events, exhibitions (e.g. also in a museum context)
• Creation/release of freely licensed icons matching the different (standardized) accessibility features of venues and events; publication on Wikimedia Commons
• Proof of Concept for applications bringing accessibility-related information to interested users

Author of the challenge:

• Beat Estermann (Opendata.ch / Bern Academy of the Arts)