Inclusion at Fasnacht: This is how moves will be barrier -free for everyone!

Inclusion at Fasnacht: This is how moves will be barrier -free for everyone!

In the Black Forest Baar region, an important conference was recently held, in which important topics on inclusion and accessibility were discussed during carnival parades. The focus of the two-day autumn conference of the Association of Swabian-Alemannic Fool Guilds (VSAN), which took place in the Schwenningen district, were questions of how people with disabilities and seniors can be better involved in the celebrations. Around 500 guests from 68 members of the member took part in this meeting.

VSAN President Roland Wehrle emphasized the importance of this event in the context of the anniversary year for the 100th anniversary of the association. "We started in Baden and end in Swabian," said Wehrle, while he referred to the beginning of the anniversary year in January, which had started with a solemn shifting in Villingen - exactly where the founding fathers of the VSAN started their work in 1924. The crowning glory of the anniversary will take place on November 16 with a founder meeting.

Inclusion and accessibility in focus

The guild master of the Blätzlebuebezunft in Constance, Roland Scherer, provided an important food for thought with his lecture. He asked the central question of how the street fastnache can be more inclusive. Scherer spoke about special areas that should be accessible to wheelchair users and seniors. "Places that can be approached directly with patient transport cars are essential to avoid long distances," he said, emphasizing how important such measures are for a wider audience.

Wehrle went into the bureaucracy again, which has often been considered a hindrance in recent years. He expressed hopes that at a round table, in which representatives of the Interior, Transport and Science Ministry as well as the cities, counties and municipalities will be made, a directional decision will soon be made. The aim is to issue permits for multi -year removals, which would not only make the organization easier, but would also reduce costs for the guilds and municipalities. "We need decisions that benefit the fools," emphasized Wehrle.

The discussions in Schwenningen reflect the desire to make traditional festivals such as the Fasnet more inclusive and thus also take into account the needs of people with disabilities. In addition to the many moves and events, the focus was also on a hiking exhibition in the anniversary year, which illuminates the 100-year history of the VSAN. This can currently be seen in Offenburg.

The topicality and relevance of these topics can be seen not only in the large number of participants in the event, but also in broad approval to the need for better inclusion. The concern that all people, regardless of their physical skills, can participate in the Fastnacht, is increasingly brought to the fore by the membership guilds.

How the developments in the area of permits and measures to be accessible will progress. The experiences and concepts from the conference should play a crucial role when it comes to taking into account the needs of all participants in the carnival parades.