A new step towards full accessibility of the Dolomites World Heritage Site: a brochure in easy-to-read language has been produced to help a broader audience to understand the reasons behind the UNESCO designation and the characteristics of the nine Dolomite systems.
Accessibility and inclusion
Accessibility of the World Heritage Site does not just relate to mobility, and therefore to the possibility of visiting and experiencing it through special routes (such as those identified by the Accessible Dolomites project). Nor is it enough to make the landscape and geological heritage easy to enjoy (as the portals visitdolomites.com or dolomitesgeotrail.com allow). Accessibility also means promoting an understanding of what a World Heritage Site is and what are the Exceptional Universal Values that make it so uniquely important. Hence, the desire to publish fundamental information regarding the nine Dolomite systems in a style that is easily accessible to people with limited reading capabilities or learning difficulties. In 2024, the Foundation started a collaboration with the Lebenshilfe Onlus Cooperative, which led to a simplified version of the institutional brochure, using an easy to read style to improve understanding of its content and therefore moving more and more towards full inclusion in the communication and sharing of the Outstanding Universal Values.
A rewarding experience for all
Leafing through the “easy language” brochure is a rewarding experience: complex concepts are expressed in a clear and simple manner, helping people to gain understanding of the essential meaning of the UNESCO recognition: the beauty of the landscape, the depth of the stories it can tell. A clear example, in short, of how, when thrown wide open, the doors of accessibility can be crossed ‘in both directions’, welcoming new users into an awareness of the value of the Dolomites, while also freeing those who thought they already possessed it from the preconceptions that sometimes accumulate and, therefore, ultimately helping everyone reach the heart of what the Dolomites are able to communicate, in a simple and direct way.
The brochure can also be downloaded here and is available to local partners who would like to support the Foundation in sharing this tool as widely as possible.
This activity is part of the project “Capacity building. Strengthening the social and regional capital of the Dolomites World Heritage Site (WHS) for lasting and sustainable development of local communities”, established with the support of Fondo Comuni Confinanti.