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Berlin launches barrier-free public transport app
Berlin has launched a travel app by Hacon that enables barrier-free access to public transport ahead of the start of the Special Olympics World Games 2023
VBB easy offers an intuitive user interface and illustrated navigation with step-by-step information
Berlin has launched a timetable and routing app ahead of the start of the Special Olympics World Games 2023 that is designed to enable barrier-free access to public transport in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The Special Olympics aims to provide sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The games are taking place from 17-25 June.
Simple planning app
The “VBB easy” app has been developed by mobility software company Hacon for the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg public transport provider as an accessible routing app for people with cognitive impairments or mobility limitations and anyone who prefers a particularly simple app for planning routes by bus and train.
With easy language and an intuitive user interface, the app allows users to search for timetable information for buses and trains, taking barrier-free routes into account, and to save up to seven destinations as favourites for faster navigation.
“Mobility is a basic right and a service of general interest. We not only take this seriously, VBB lives it”
During the journey, VBB easy accompanies passengers with illustrated navigation and step-by-step information. In case of an emergency or if assistance is otherwise needed, stored help contacts can be called directly out of the app. Video calls are also possible in conjunction with the VBB GuideMeGo app, which has also been newly released. The person helping also receives the passenger’s current location and the battery status of his or her smartphone via a message.
For the Special Olympics World Games 2023, VBB easy can also be used to navigate by searching for types of sport and event locations, so that the simplest of information can be used to get you safely to your desired destination. The app’s language can be set to German or English.
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“Accessibility and inclusion have always been anchored in the DNA of VBB,” said Ute Bonde, managing director of Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB). “With our Bus&Bahn companion service, we have been setting standards for mobile-impaired people in public transportation for years.
“With the two newly developed apps, especially VBB GuideMeGo, we are reaching the next level in accessibility. Mobility is a basic right and a service of general interest. We not only take this seriously, VBB lives it.
“We are proud to be part of the Special Olympics and to make it a little easier for the athletes to get around Berlin through our developments. My special thanks go to the responsible senate administrations of the state of Berlin and our technical service partners.”
VBB easy and VBB GuideMeGo are intended as inclusive offerings for everyone. In particular, different user groups for whom simple app operation and information presentation is especially relevant are to be addressed. In accordance with the requirement of the sustainability programme Inklusion ’23 of the state of Berlin, they were designed and realised for sustainable use beyond the games.
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How does the VBB easy app support barrier-free public transport access?What features enable VBB GuideMeGo to assist passengers during emergencies?How does the app accommodate users with cognitive impairments or mobility limitations?In what ways does the app integrate Special Olympics event locations for navigation?How do VBB easy and GuideMeGo contribute to sustainable inclusive mobility?Latest City Profile
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