Swiss nightlife projects bring people with and without disabilities together

Clubs and cultural projects across Switzerland are creating more opportunities for people with and without disabilities to celebrate together, SRF reports. But barriers to a fully inclusive nightlife remain.

At the Zurich rave Inclusions, people with and without disabilities dance on the same floor, perform on stage and take turns at the DJ booth. Raphael, a dancer and theatre performer, says the event’s name is unnecessary: “Who needs to include whom? Today, only normal people are dancing here, whether they have a disability or not.”

Jerry, who has a disability, DJs at the event and says he enjoys it. Diego has attended three times and hopes to become more involved in the project. Stefanie comes to dance and says it is “cool to be together.”

Other initiatives are also working to make cultural events more accessible. Blindspot, an inclusion association in Bern, is developing Nachtschwärmer, a scheme that pairs trained young volunteers with people with disabilities to attend concerts, theatre performances, parties, exhibition openings and festivals. It aims to make participation in cultural and nightlife events more self-directed.

In Lucerne, the FE:IN project organises events, including concerts and parties at the Treibhaus venue. It grew out of a group of young people with and without disabilities. In Zurich, the Sound of Signs concert series makes performances accessible through sign language and vibrations. The Zurich Cantonal Disability Conference also lists museum and cultural events.

Inclusions was co-founded by Reto Willi and Roland Lüthi. Willi works with people with disabilities and has seen how limited their access to clubs can be. The event aims to make shared participation in nightlife feel normal.