The German National Library is committed to promoting a barrier-free and inclusive society. As a place of education and exchange and an event venue we strive to provide barrier-free access to our library, exhibitions, public spaces and content.

Owing to structural conditions and monument protection guidelines, we are unfortunately unable to fully realise this aspiration across all areas.

Individuals aged 16 and up can currently enter the German National Library free of charge, as we decided to waive user fees for the time being.

Designated disabled parking is available.

Our entrances are fully or mostly accessible.

Our buildings are equipped with wheelchair accessible WCs.

We have barrier-free workstations for blind and partially sighted people.

There are also workstations with sufficient clearance for use by wheelchair users.

Assistance animals may be brought into our buildings.

 

More detailed information about our locations in Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main is provided below.

Your feedback, suggestions and descriptions of your requirements are always very welcome.

Contact:

E-Mail: barrierefreiheit@dnb.de

Phone Leipzig: +49 341 2271-453

Phone Frankfurt am Main: +49 69 1525-2500

Leipzig

Access

Disabled parking is available right in front of the building.

Access to the German Museum of Books and Writing is barrier-free. The entrance door can be opened by pressing a button.

Easy access to the historic building is provided by means of a designated ramp. The entrance door is equipped with a doorbell. Our guards will open the door for you.

The operating panels of the lifts to the reading rooms and the cafeteria are installed in a low position.

The carriage of designated assistance animals is permitted.

Cloakroom and lockers

The cloakroom and lockers are located on the ground floor of the original building and in the museum’s foyer.

Sanitary facilities

A WC that is accessible from both sides can be found on the ground floor of the historic building, opposite the lecture hall. Further accessible WCs are located on the 1st and 2nd floor in the German Music Archive's exhibition area.

A wheelchair accessible WC can be found on the ground floor of the German Museum of Books and Writing.

Workstations for persons with disabilities

Workstations with sufficient clearance for use by wheelchair users are available in all reading rooms. For more information, please feel free to get in touch by email or phone.

Workstations for the blind and partially sighted

PC workstations for the blind and partially sighted are located near the media issue. Here you can search the catalogue and make use of the collections and internet.

These PC workstations are equipped with the following:

• DIN A3 scanner with OCR software
• Braille keyboard
• Jaws for Windows with text-to-speech output
• ZoomText magnifying software
• “VIG Keys” high-visibility keyboard
• Optelec ClearView magnifier

The building is currently not equipped with a guidance system for visually impaired people or those with limited mobility. Our guards will be happy to escort you to the place you want to be.

Please make an appointment for an introductory session.
Contact:

E-Mail: info-l@dnb.de
Phone: +49 341 2271-453
We recommend that you start working at these workstations during the information desk’s service hours.

Frankfurt am Main

Access

Designated disabled parking is located in the underground carpark of the German National Library and next to the building on Schlosserstraße. Visitors with an “aG” or “Bl” permit can park free of charge. Please have your parking ticket validated at the reception desk. Barrier-free access from the underground carpark is provided by means of a lift.

Access to the building and reading room is level. Please use the doorbell if you need help to open the doors. Our guards will be happy to assist you.

Die verschiedenen Ebenen der Lesesäle sind über Rampen oder mit Aufzügen zu erreichen. Gleiches gilt für die öffentlichen Bereiche wie das Restaurant sowie Veranstaltungsräume.

The carriage of designated assistance animals is permitted.

Cloakroom and lockers

The cloakroom and lockers are located on the ground floor of the building.

Sanitary facilities

Wheelchair accessible WCs are located in the main and periodical reading room and in the rotunda.

Workstations for persons with disabilities

There are two freely accessible workstations with height-adjustable desks in the main reading room.

Overhead scanners on height-adjustable tables are also provided.

Workstations for the blind and partially sighted

The multimedia reading room has one workstation specially designed for blind people and another for the partially sighted. Here you can search the catalogue and make use of the collections and internet.

These PC workstations are equipped with the following:

• DIN A3 scanner with OCR software
• Braille keyboard
• Jaws for Windows with text-to-speech output
• ZoomText magnifying software
• “VIG Keys” high-visibility keyboard
• Optelec ClearView magnifier
• Cold light lamps

Please make an appointment for an introductory session:
E-Mail: blindenarbeitsplaetze-f@dnb.de
Phone: +49 69 1525-2500

We recommend that you start working at these workstations during the information desk’s service hours.

Exhibitions

German Museum of Books and Writing in Leipzig

Barrier-free access to the exhibitions is ensured for people with limited mobility. The exhibition areas are easily usable for wheelchair users, as any passages and spaces are sufficiently sized for wheelchairs. Automatic sliding doors provide for barrier-free access to the exhibitions.

Listening and media stations are installed at a height that is suitable for wheelchair users. Some of the content is designed according to the two-senses principle (e.g. transcription, subtitles).

There are seats in the exhibition area. If needed, you can borrow portable stools at the reception desk.

Our virtual exhibitions comply with the BITV.

The German Museum of Books and Writing offers group accompaniment for visually impaired and blind people by prior arrangement on +49 341 2271-324.

German Exile Archive 1933-1945 in Frankfurt am Main

The exhibition areas are easily usable for wheelchair users, as any passages and spaces are sufficiently sized for wheelchairs. Automatic sliding doors provide for barrier-free access to the exhibitions. The German Exile Archive 1933–1945 is also equipped with table showcases with sufficient clearance for wheelchair users.

Listening and media stations are installed at a height that is suitable for wheelchair users. Some of the content is designed according to the two-senses principle (e.g. transcription, subtitles)

Flexible seating is available.

Our virtual exhibitions comply with the BITV.

The German Exile Archive 1933-1945 offers group accompaniment for visually impaired and blind people by prior arrangement on +49 69 1525-1987.

E-Mail: exilarchiv@dnb.de

Music exhibition at the German Music Archive in Leipzig

Barrier-free access to the exhibitions is ensured for people with limited mobility.

Lifts are available.

The exhibition areas are easily usable for wheelchair users, as any passages and spaces are sufficiently sized for wheelchairs. Automatic sliding doors provide for barrier-free access to the exhibitions. Seating is available.

Our virtual exhibitions comply with the BITV.

The German Music Archive offers group accompaniment for visually impaired and blind people by prior arrangement on +49 341 2271-324.

For families

Frankfurt am Main

There is a changing table in the building in Frankfurt am Main.

The changing table can be found in the wheelchair accessible WC next to the cafeteria

Accessibility on the internet

The online offerings of the German National Library are subject to the provisions of the German national guideline for accessibility of online content (BITV 2.0) and are reviewed on a regular basis.  In addition to this, content in sign language and simple language is available on the dnb.de website.

Further information about virtual accessibility is available here:
www.dnb.de/barrierefreiheit