The Royal Łazienki winning a prize in the "Warsaw without Barriers" competition
The Old Orangery adapted to the needs of people with disabilities - is a project for which the Royal Łazienki received a prize in the "Warsaw without Barriers" competition organised by the Friends of Integration Association. The distinction was awarded during the Great Gala of Integration, which was held on 19 November 2016 in the Ursynów Arena.
The "Warsaw without Barriers" competition recognises solutions that contribute to a better functioning of people with disabilities and that enable them to use public buildings. This year prizes were granted for investments, applications and websites without barriers.
The Royal Łazienki Museum was appreciated for a historic building without barriers, i.e. the Old Orangery with the Royal Theatre and the Moulding Shop. The jury of the competition organised by the Friends of Integration Association and co-financed by the municipality of Warsaw pointed at the "effort and invaluable contribution to the adaptation of a historic building to the needs of people with disabilities".
In the Old Orangery, architectural barriers were removed during the renovation carried out in the years 2012-2016. The lift located in the west wing allows people with special needs to access all the storeys; now they may use the access driveway, the specially adapted toilets and the so-called calling network system. In a friendly space of the Museum and without obstacles, they can discover the exhibits from the Royal Sculpture Gallery and take part in education activities. All this owing to specialised equipment put in place in the Old Orangery and the Moulding Shop operating inside of it. Visitors with disabilities can use plaster and epoxy resin casts for learning by touching, tactile statues from the Royal Sculpture Gallery, a three-dimensional model of the Old Orangery, audio descriptions of sculptures from the Royal Sculpture Gallery and the Polish Sculpture Gallery as well as videos in the Polish sign language.
The Royal Sculpture Gallery and the Moulding Shop are the first historic museum spaces in Poland equipped with induction loops designed for people with hearing impairment. A free mobile application is also available.
