Freedom Tours Wageningen
The Local Challenge
In Wageningen, many people with visible and invisible disabilities encounter daily barriers—physical inaccessibility, discriminatory attitudes, and lack of awareness—that restrict their freedom to participate fully in community life. These barriers foster exclusion, isolation, and reduced opportunities, undermining both equality and social cohesion. With a diverse population of over 150 nationalities, Wageningen is developing a municipal inclusion plan, yet local voices of differently abled residents often remain unheard. Addressing these silences is urgent: inclusive public spaces and opportunities for civic dialogue are essential for ensuring that all residents feel valued, connected, and able to contribute to the city’s democratic and cultural life.
The Initiative
Freedom Tours Wageningen (FTW) explores how differently abled residents experience freedom in everyday life, following the principle nothing about us without us. Co-created and led by residents with diverse abilities and backgrounds, the tours highlight barriers, share lived experiences, and foster dialogue about inclusion. The process involves a multi-month co-creation programme with 15 local co-creators, who receive training in communication and community-based research. Supported by de bblthk (Wageningen Public Library), Wageningen University & Research, the municipality, and local NGOs, the library hosts workshops, provides outreach, and anchors the initiative as part of its role in civic learning and community building.
What’s Next?
Freedom Tours Wageningen will equip differently abled residents with skills, confidence, and agency to contribute to public debates and the city’s inclusion agenda. Co-creators gain ownership of the stories being shared, while around 288 tour participants—residents, students, companies, and policymakers—will develop empathy and civic awareness by engaging with perspectives different from their own. The tours will strengthen Wageningen’s inclusion plan by grounding policy in lived experience and will position the library as a trusted hub for dialogue and democratic renewal. Ultimately, the project will foster social cohesion, reduce stigma, and build a more empathetic, resilient local community.
Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.
