Culture should be accessible to as many people as possible; it should be something that anyone can experience. Casinos Austria is addressing this need with an inclusion project that makes it possible for blind and visually impaired culture enthusiasts to enjoy outstanding performances as much as possible. Following its launch at the Burgtheater in 2023, the initiative was then successfully implemented at the Bregenz Festival in 2025 and is now being continued.
The focus is on specific initiatives designed to enhance the experience of attending theatres and festivals: visitors can obtain free programmes in Braille for selected performances. Live audio descriptions convey what is happening on stage beyond the dialogue, and tactile tours of the set before the performance provide a directly tangible impression of the set and atmosphere. This is how the project not only offers additional guidance, but also opens up new ways of engaging with what will unfold on stage.It shows how accessibility can be put into practice in the cultural sector: through reliable programmes, capable partners and a commitment to understanding having as many people as possible participate not just as an afterthought, but as an integral part of cultural offerings.
The collaborations with the Burgtheater and the Bregenz Festival are prime examples of Casinos Austria’s commitment to fostering long-term partnerships that deliver genuine social value. Both these institutions are among the country’s most important cultural institutions and play a key role in the promotion of inclusion and accessibility. By continuing this initiative, Casinos Austria underscores its commitment to the active promotion of cultural participation and the embedding of inclusion as an integral part of its activities within the society at large. The project highlights how collaboration between business and cultural sectors can have a tangible impact – both for individual visitors and in fostering a more open cultural dialogue.
Erwin van Lambaart, Director General of Casinos Austria, had this to say:
“Inclusion is evident when it can be taken for granted that anyone can participate. That’s exactly where we want to make our contribution: to remove barriers and make culture accessible to as many people as possible. As a company with strong roots in Austria, we see it as part of our social responsibility to promote and enable developments like these, in collaboration with strong partners.”
Martin Škopek, Director of the Board of Casinos Austria, added:
“Supportive measures like these have a lasting impact when they provide both economic stability and social value. This inclusion project is a clear commitment to an open, more inclusive Austria. It stands for greater equality of opportunity, genuine appreciation as well as cultural coexistence, and is a benefit to everyone.”