Russia's main exhibition gives high priority to creating a no-barrier environment in which all visitors can feel comfortable. As part of the VDNH for Everyone programme, projects will be carried out to adapt the venues to meet the needs of individuals with reduced mobility. For example, a ramp has been built near the Friendship of Peoples Fountain and, within VDNH, several new services have been launched for special needs visitors.
The VDNH for Everyone accessible environment programme is aimed at creating an environment in which every visitor will feel accepted and included.
The new ramp will allow visitors with reduced mobility to take a closer look at the Fountain of the Peoples Friendship, one of the main attractions of the exhibition. The fountain complex is a cultural heritage site. However, the exhibition's experts have come up with technical solutions to integrate the ramp into the existing environment harmoniously.
VDNH, with the help of experts on accessibility, has conducted a survey of the exhibition and is now working actively to adapt the venues to meet the needs of special needs visitors. Even now, individuals with reduced mobility have access to many pavilions and museum sites. You can find the accessibility map on the exhibition's website.
Special sign language guided tours, concerts and other events have been held on a regular basis. For instance, every third Sunday of the month, the Fairytale Theater hosts inclusive shows while VDNH's museums run the Kind Museum programme.
At VDNH, visitors with reduced mobility are allowed free entry by car and can enjoy a free transfer service that will take them to any part of the exhibition. The transfer cars have ramps and seats for attendants. For bookings, please call +7 (495) 974-33-99.
In the summer, you can rent wheelchairs and handcycles at VDNH. Rental services are available from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the information centre in the Main Entrance Arch. The service is provided free of charge. To rent, you must produce your passport and a document acknowledging that you have benefits: a pension or a disability certificate.
Some of the new features this season include tactile mock-ups intended to help blind and visually impaired individuals to examine the architectural ensemble and the exhibition's main attractions. The mock-ups are complete with Braille descriptions and a relief text both in Russian and English. The mock-ups include the main Entrance Arch, Space and Central Pavilions as well as the entire grounds of the exhibition.
Also, along with the Moscow Innovation Agency, the VDNH Museum and the information centre in the Main Entrance Arch are conducting tests of the information and guidance systems for visually impaired individuals as well as other groups of people with reduced mobility.
For more details on the accessible environment programme please go to the page VDNH for Everyone.