How does safety information reach visitors with different communication needs?

An announcement can work technically and still fail to reach parts of the audience. Hearing or visual impairments, language barriers and the conditions at the venue influence whether people perceive and understand a notice. Safety communication therefore has to start from visitors’ information needs.

Providing several channels of perception

The DGUV describes the two-senses principle as the basis for accessible communication of information: information is made accessible through at least two of the senses of hearing, sight and touch. At the same time, it points out that even this does not reach everyone, for example deafblind people [1].

For events, this suggests the following: acoustic notices should be supplemented by suitable visual information. Conversely, visible instructions need an accessible alternative for people with impaired vision. A warning light alone does not yet convey a specific instruction for action. Personal support must be prepared wherever technical channels are not sufficient.

Preparing clear and consistent messages

Visitors must be able to recognise which area is affected and what they should do. Short sentences, unambiguous location names and specific instructions make orientation easier. The language versions required should be prepared based on the expected audience and checked for consistency of content. Multilingual information does not replace accessible design.

Announcement, display and deployed staff must convey the same current instruction. This requires defined responsibilities for approval, triggering and updating. For events, the HSE recommends prepared announcement scripts, clear roles and testing communication systems before the event starts [2].

Checking reach at the actual venue

What matters is whether information arrives under the intended operating conditions: Can displays be recognised from the visitor areas? Are announcements intelligible despite ambient noise? Do staff know how to approach and accompany people who need additional support?

An app or a QR code can supplement this, but should not assume that all visitors have a charged smartphone, reception and the right application. Support services and contact points should be made known before the visit.

Safety communication becomes effective when perception, understanding and the ability to act are planned together. The number of available channels alone does not prove that the intended visitor groups are reached.

Read more: Why should visitor communication begin before an emergency?, How can public address infrastructure support both service and safety? and How are decisions about interrupting an event prepared?

Classification: sources accessed on 2 November 2026. Applying the principles to temporary event areas and the notes on language versions and channel coordination are editorial planning inferences. The HSE provides professional guidance, not a German legal requirement. The article makes no general statement about statutory accessibility obligations and does not replace an event-specific assessment. Two channels alone do not establish full accessibility.