Magazine Program: Move Barriers

von Gerhard Wagner

Six students from the Institute for Education at the University of Vienna have prepared this program as part of a seminar on media. Under the motto: ? Move barriers? they investigated barrier freedom from various angles.

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Moderation: Welcome to Freak Radio?s Magazine program. On the microphone is again Gerhard Wagner. Six students from the Institute for Education at the University of Vienna have prepared this program as part of a seminar on media. Under the motto: ? Move barriers? they investigated barrier freedom from various angles.

The first part is about Fitness Centers and the question people with handicaps can use them. Here the Ö-Norm plays a big role. A similar standard exists in Hungary, and similar to Austria is paper patient. However there is Handicap group has taken the initiative and fights for access to buildings in Budapest.

The buildings of the University of Vienna are not fully accessible for its handicap students. The already known. But there is a new barrier. A part of correspondence area is now called E-Learning has developed, because it mainly taught via Computer and Internet. Placing a new question, if this practical element is also available for these students. And our last part is on the dance group ?I?m OK?.

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Moderation: Were ever in a Fitness Center? Have you ever seen handicap people there?
Probably not. Because most Fitness Centers are not barrier free. Renate Rummerstorfer and Maria Simma visited a Fitness Center to see how barrier free it was.

Speaker 1: The Life-Style-Club Holmes Place in the Vienna 22nd district, which tried to comply with the Ö-Norm for barrier free construction. This Ö-Norm ? B1600 describes barrier free construction in Austria, however many fitness studios this have construction failures in the area of barrier free.

Speaker 2: Different is the Life Style Club ?Holmes Place?. We visited it and formed our own picture. The business management pointed out that the club was built to be barrier free. They regret, that they have few handicap members. To attract people with handicaps they allow someone to escort them. So long as the escort does train themselves is their entrance free. We spoke with Personal Trainer Katharina Koller about the theme of barrier freedom.

OT Katharina Koller: ?Yes basically is it reality. There is an elevator, that stops at all floors, the fitness floor, the swimming pool and the bar. Assistance and advice is in every case guaranteed at Holmes place. Fitness coaches are continually on the floor who can help with problems with the fitness machines and their use.?

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