Accessibility

As part of the ZAB - Forum Accessibility, the ZAB is taking part in the art/science festival "hören" from 29th to 31st January 2026 in the Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld.

In everyday life, we often don't realise how central the sense of hearing is for us humans: we need it for communication, for orientation and to perceive warning signals. What does it mean for language acquisition when a child is born with impaired hearing or deaf? And what challenges do you face if you suddenly become deaf in the middle of life or gradually lose your hearing as you get older? What do people with hearing impairments want from their hearing peers?

At the event "What to do if your hearing doesn't work?" on 30th January 2026 from 17:00 - 19:00, experts will give entertaining talks on the topic and be available to answer questions from the audience. The ZAB is taking part with a contribution on the topic of "(Listening) - Communicating better with each other in private, working and learning environments".

Admission is free and registration is not required. The event will be held in German.

Comedian Okan Seese will then perform from 20:00 - 22:00 with his programme "Lieber Tomaten auf den Ohren als ein Brett vor dem Kopf". Okan Seese can't hear. But he has all the more to say - or rather: to sign! He takes the audience on a humorous journey through his everyday life and talks about his life between two cultures as a deaf, gay man, about fun dates and the challenges of visiting doctors without an interpreter.

Registration is required for the event (admission price: 5 euros). The event will be held in German.