Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a closed project. The European Solidarity Centre is a cultural institution continuously working towards accessibility for all, including disabled visitors. Welcome inside!
Find Your Way Around the ECS
–1 / underground car park
0 / main and side entrances to the building, multifunctional hall, ticket office, audioguide station, THE SHIPYARD exhibitions, Play Department, auditorium, museum store, coffee shop
1 / entrance to the permanent exhibition, library, media library, bar
2 / permanent exhibition, archive
3 / workshop rooms, Solidarity Every Day space
4 / offices of the European Solidarity Centre
5 / technical section / no entry
6 / observation deck
Underground Car Park (level –1)
/ entry in ul. Nowomiejska: access from ul. Jana z Kolna or ul. ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki
/ 280 parking spaces
/ our car park ticket machines are accessible for wheelchair users (accessibility features, height-adjustable screen)
/ 8 designated disabled spaces
/ bicycle parking spaces to the left of the vehicle entrance
/ important: entrance to the lifts or staircase through a heavy double-leaf door, no door sill
Entry to the building (level 0)
▪ main entrance
/ pedestrian access from pl. Solidarności through the historic Gdańsk Shipyard Gate No. 2 and from ul. Jerzego Popiełuszki
/ automatic door, open all year round, entrance with no door sill
/ Important! The access to the main entrance of the ECS is cobbled.
▪ side entrance
/ in ul. Nowomiejska
/ double-leaf door, open all year round, entrance with a door sill (4 cm)
Tickets
/ the ticket office is on level 0
/ important! Our ticket counters are 120 cm high and have a protective glass partition
/ discounted tickets available to:
▪ people with disabilities (a document is required to confirm entitlement)
▪ an assistant to the disabled person
/ the price includes the audioguide fee per each visitor
Audio guide
/ makes the tour easier and more complete; the audio guide hire cost is included in the ticket price
/ Audio Guide desk height: 85 cm
▪ path for people with hearing impairment → permanent exhibition
/ tour duration: 2.5–3 hours
/ Polish Sign Language (PJM)
▪ path for people with visual impairment → permanent exhibition
/ tour duration: ca. 3 hours
/ audio description
/ available languages: Polish and English
Permanent Exhibition
/ Located on levels 1 & 2.
/ Ticket scanner height: 100 cm, width of entrance and exit speed gates: 100 cm
/ Touring the exhibition: doors and passages with no door sills, levels are connected by stairs and lifts.
/ We encourage using audio guides with audio description or in Polish Sign Language
/ Mobile chairs are available in the exhibition space, provided by security staff.
/ The exhibition features multimedia (video and audio recordings), the exhibition halls have a variable intensity of light and sounds.
/ Room E (level 2) features an MT3D (Multilayer Touch Deep) piece based on convex layered graphics, an innovative method of adapting visual arts to the needs of the blind. It presents a photograph by Chris Niedenthal which depicts Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki raising his hand in a gesture of V for victory, in 1989, after his government was sworn in.
/ Room F (level 2), within an installation entitled The Labyrinth, has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Braille at hand height among 68 other translations.
THE SHIPYARD Exhibition
/ Located on levels 0.
/ The exhibition features multimedia (video and audio recordings), the exhibition halls have a variable intensity of light and sounds.
Play Department
/ Space for parents with children aged up to 10, located on Level 0 of the building
/ Door width: 100 cm
/ Single-leaf, semi-automatic door, opening inwards
/ Ticket scanner height: 100 cm
/ Reception desk equipped with a hearing induction loop
Tactile Map (Multisensory Map)
/ Maps with the building’s floor plans for easy navigation and spatial orientation
/ Available on Levels 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6
/ Information is presented through touch, sight and sound, with raised print and audio message buttons
Hearing induction loop
▪ stationary
/ available at the ticket office, at the information desk, at the audioguide station, at the information points of the Play Department and the library, and in the auditorium (first two rows)
▪ neck-worn, mobile
/ for hire with an audioguide at the audioguide station
▪ portable, suitcase-style hearing induction loop
/ Maximum range: 150 sq m
/ For use during events, for example in workshop rooms
Wheelchairs for people with mobility impairments
/ Adult wheelchairs (2) are available free of charge without prior reservation; ask at the ticket office.
Cloakroom / self-service lockers
/ You can use self-service lockers on level 0.
Toilets
/ The building has clearly marked, free toilets, also accessible to disabled visitors (Levels 0, 1, 2, 3)
/ Door width: 100 cm
/ Toilet seat height: 44 cm
/ Manoeuvring space in front of the toilet bowl: 134 cm × 146 cm
/ Grab rail to the left of the toilet bowl
/ Folding grab rail to the right of the toilet bowl
/ Transfer surface to the right of the toilet bowl: 114 cm × 50 cm
/ Wheelchair accessible washbasin
/ Alarm button available
Family room / Silence room
/ Available on level 0, next to the toilets.
/ The room is equipped with a chair, a washbasin and a changing table.
Lifts
/ Three panoramic lifts are available in the building
/ The lifts reach every floor of the building
/ The buttons in the lifts are raised and Braille labelled
/ The lifts have a voice information system in Polish and English
/ Door width: 90 cm
/ Lift width: 101 cm
/ Lift depth: 163 cm
/ Highest button: 125 cm from the floor
/ Visual and audible alarm confirmation
Staircase
/ All levels are connected by a staircase
/ The stairs are stone, contrast-marked, and have a handrail
Other Spaces
The ECS hosts many events held by external institutions and entities. Here you will find information about the facilities in each room:
▪ Auditorium
/ Located on Level 0
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 120 cm
/ Single-leaf door opening outwards
/ Number of marked wheelchair-accessible seats: 2
/ Cinema-style seating, contrast-marked and lit wooden stairs with handrails installed to assist with going up and down
/ Entrance to the stage: 3 contrast-marked wooden steps with a handrail on one side, or a portable ramp available
/ Hearing induction loop available in the first 3 rows
/ During screenings, a system can be activated to allow users to connect headphones for audio description
▪ Multifunctional Hall
/ Located on Level 0, to the right of the main entrance
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 90 cm
/ The layout is adjusted each time to meet your needs: the arrangement of tables and chairs can be modified depending on the type of the event (e.g. workshop style, auditorium style)
/ The Hall has a 30-cm-high stage, with a portable ramp available
/ A portable hearing induction loop can be installed
▪ Library
/ Located on Level 1
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 90 cm
/ Single-leaf door opening outwards
/ Librarians’ desk height: 85 cm, with a protective glass partition
/ Librarians’ desk equipped with a hearing induction loop
/ Fully accessible workstation for visually impaired users, equipped with a high-contrast keyboard and an electronic magnifier. The desk is electrically adjustable and comfortable for wheelchair users
/ The Library spans 4 levels, with contrast-marked glass stairs leading to the upper levels, no lift
▪ Workshop Rooms and Solidarity Every Day Space
/ Located on Level 3
/ No thresholds at the entrance to each room
/ Door width: 90 cm
/ Rooms are equipped with basic furnishings: tables and chairs, along with multimedia equipment; the layout is adjusted each time to meet your needs (the arrangement of tables and chairs can be modified depending on the type of the event, e.g. workshop style, auditorium style)
/ A portable hearing induction loop can be installed
▪ Archive Reading Room
/ Located on Level 2
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 110 cm
/ On-duty archivist’s desk height: 94 cm
▪ Media Library
/ Located on Level 1
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 110 cm
/ The layout is adjusted each time to meet your needs: the arrangement of tables and chairs can be modified depending on the type of the event (e.g. workshop style, auditorium style)
/ A portable hearing induction loop can be installed
▪ Observation Deck
/ Available whenever weather permits
/ Entry through a single-leaf door with a low threshold, ramps for wheelchair users
▪ Coffee Shop
/ Located on Level 0
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 110 cm
/ Important! Service desk height: 140 cm
▪ Bistro
/ Located on Level 1
/ No thresholds at the entrance
/ Door width: 110 cm
/ Service desk height: 80 cm
ECS Team
/ The ECS team is trained in accessibility etiquette
/ Some staff members have basic knowledge of Polish Sign Language (PJM), level A1
/ We also train in various aspects of accessibility as part of the Universal Design of Culture—Accessibility in Cultural Institutions project and the Accessibility Lab
/ An in-house Accessibility Team is in place to improve the building’s accessibility and the cultural offering for everyone, on equal terms
CONTACT
If you need further support or information, please contact us before your visit.
Natalia Grzywacz-Leszkowska
tel.: +48 517 368 130
e-mail: n.grzywacz@ecs.gda.pl