Bocholt Textile Factory

Bocholt Textile Factory (Martin Holtappels)

Westphalian State Museum of Industrial Heritage

Fascination fashion, design and technology

At the heart of a new cultural quarter between the city center and the Aasee lies the TextilWerk Bocholt with its weaving mill and spinning mill. The two sites of the industrial museum are connected by a bridge over the river Aa. In the impressive halls of the historic Herding spinning mill, you will gain exciting insights into historical and modern technology, experience fashion history and current design. In the weaving mill, a world of experience awaits you with daily show production on historic looms and a fully furnished residential house with a flowering workers' garden!

Information about Accessibility

Barrier-free information

Short Report as PDF

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • Exterior paths on the premises are at least 150 cm wide, mostly easy to walk and drive on and have maximum longitudinal slopes of up to 6 %.
  • Most of the rooms and facilities that can be used and raised for guests are accessible at ground level or via ramps and lifts. 
  • Exceptions: The card room on the upper floor of the weaving mill is only accessible via stairs. The workers' houses are accessible via two steps each, with the upper floors and the basement also only accessible via stairs.
  • The ramps in the workers' houses have a slope of 10 and 20 % respectively and a length of 1 m.
  • Guided tours are offered for people with walking difficulties, but not for wheelchair users. Advance booking is necessary. Mobile or fixed seating is available for people with walking disabilities to use during the tour.
  • Aids offered: wheelchair, walking aids, mobile stools.

Weaving mill 

  • The main car park is located at the weaving mill. There are two marked parking spaces for people with disabilities (space size: 350 cm x 500 cm).
  • The path from the Weberei car park to the entrance is 30 m long. It is not easy to walk and drive on in parts and has a maximum longitudinal slope of 3% over a distance of 20 m. The weaving mill is step-free. 
  • The weaving mill is accessible without steps.
  • Almost all doors/passages that can be used by guests and are raised are at least 90 cm wide. 
  • Exceptions: The narrowest passages in the weaving mill are 69 cm (Kontor on the ground floor) and 83 cm (Kartenschlägerei on the upper floor) wide. The narrowest passage in the right-hand workers' house is 85 cm wide.
  • The cash counter in the weaving mill is 85 cm high at the lowest point. There is another, equivalent communication possibility in a seated position. 
  • The exhibits and objects are mainly visible while sitting.
  • The information on the exhibits and objects can mainly be read while sitting.

Spinning mill

  • There is no general parking at the Spinnerei, only two designated parking spaces for people with disabilities (space size: 350 cm x 500 cm).
  • The spinning mill is accessible without steps via a ramp or a lift. 
  • The ramp has a maximum gradient of 15 % and a total length of 15 m. 
  • The lift cabin is 220 cm x 440 cm. The lift door is 220 cm wide.
  • All doors/passages that can be used by the guest and are raised are at least 90 cm wide. 
  • The checkout counter in the spinning mill is 120 cm high at the lowest point.  There is another, equivalent communication option available while seated. 
  • The exhibits and objects in the exhibitions are mainly visible from a seated position.
  • The information on the exhibits and objects can mainly be read while sitting.

Sky Lounge Restaurant

  • The lift cabin to the Sky Lounge is 140 cm x 140 cm. The lift door is 90 cm wide.
  • In the Sky Lounge of the Spinnerei there are tables that can be moved underneath (maximum height 80 cm, can be moved underneath at a height of 67 cm and a depth of 30 cm).

Public WC for people with disabilities in the weaving mill (ground floor)

  • The movement areas are:
    behind the door, in front of the WC and the washbasin 135 cm x 135 cm;
    to the left of the WC 57 cm x 58 cm and to the right of the WC 90 cm x 58 cm.
  • There are grab rails to the left and right of the WC. The grab rails can be folded up.
  • The washbasin is accessible from underneath.
  • The mirror cannot be seen from a seated position.
  • There is no alarm trigger.
  • There is a folding couch.

Public WCs for people with disabilities in the Sky Lounge and in the Spinnerei (basement and 2nd floor) identical in construction

  • The movement areas are:
    in front of/behind the door, in front of the WC and the washbasin at least 150 cm x 150 cm;
    to the left and right of the WC at least 90 cm x 70 cm.
  • Grab rails are provided to the left and right of the WCs. The grab rails can be folded up.
  • The washbasin is accessible from underneath.
  • The mirror can be viewed while standing or sitting.
  • There is an alarm trigger.
  • There is a folding couch in the WC on the 2nd floor of the Spinnerei.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • In the spinning mill the alarm is clearly visible in the entire building/object.
  • In the weaving mill there is no clearly visible alarm.
  • There is no audio induction loop system.
  • An outgoing emergency call in the elevators is confirmed audibly. 
  • Alternatively stairs are available.
  • The information on the exhibits and objects is predominately provided in writing. There is rarely audible information about the exhibits and objects.
  • In the Sky-Lounge of the spinning mill there are tables with bright and glare-free lighting, on which there are no lamps standing or hanging that interfere with the field of vision or eye contact. There is no seating area with low background noises (e.g. corner seating, separate room).
  • Guided tours are offered for deaf people, but not for people with hearing impairment. A reservation in advance is necessary.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • Assistance dogs are allowed in relevant areas/rooms.
  • External paths usually do not have visually contrasting or tactilely detectable sidewalk boundaries.
  • The evaluated areas that can be used by the guest are predominantly well lit, i.e. bright and glare-free.
    Exceptions: workshop and boiler house in the weaving mill, basement in the spinning mill
  • There are no visually contrasting or tactile floor indicators.
  • The signage is designed in legible lettering. In the Spinnerei, the signage is not high-contrast.
  • There are usually no obstacles, e.g. objects protruding into the path/space. 
  • Exception: central staircase in the Spinnerei.
  • There are guest doors in the Spinnerei without safety markings.
  • An outgoing emergency call in the lifts is confirmed acoustically. The stop position is not announced by voice. The controls are visually contrasting and tactilely detectable. 
  • Alternatively, stairs are available.
  • The central staircase in the spinning mill has visually contrasting edges on the steps and has handrails on both sides.
  • The stairs in the weaving mill and in the workers' houses do not have visually contrasting edges and have at least a handrail on one side.
  • Exception: no handrail on the outside staircase at the entrance to the workers' houses. 
  • Exhibits in the exhibitions are generally well lit. 
  • Exceptions: Workshop and boiler house in the weaving mill.
  • The information on the exhibits is mainly provided in written form. There is occasional acoustic information about the exhibits and objects.
  • The writing on the menu in the Sky-Lounge is not in straightforward, high-contrast type. 
  • There is no menu in large print or Braille.
  • There are no guided tours for people with visual impairments and blind people.
  • Information is not available in Braille or prismatic writing.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF

Some information on accessibility are listed below. For detailed information please see the evaluation report.

  • The name or logo of the facilitys is clearly recognizable from the outside.
  • There is no colored or pictorial guidance system available.
  • The information on the exhibits and objects is predominately provided in writing, but not in easy language.
  • In the Sky-Lounge the dishes are visibly presented (buffet, bar).
  • Guided tours for guests with dementia are offered. Pre-registration is necessary.

Evaluation report: Download as PDF