At Hidrodoe, accessibility means more than removing physical barriers—it’s about ensuring everyone feels truly welcome. Alongside our “Deferred Happiness cards,” where visitors can gift drinks or snacks to others in need, we also offer reduced ticket prices through partnerships with 'Iedereen Verdient Vakantie' (translation 'Everyone Deserves a Holiday') and 'UitPas'. We also work with 'Tourism for Autism' and organisations like Symfoon.
Our accessibility “menu” shows all the practical tools you can ask for: reading glasses, wheelchairs, pictogram cards, headphones, sensory backpacks and more. The information screen at the ticketing desk contains sign language, text panels can be read aloud via an app, and twice a year we host low-stimulus days. Step by step, we keep exploring new ways to make Hidrodoe warmer, friendlier and open to all.
Also at Hidrodoe’s Water Café, we believe that hospitality should flow like water: freely, inclusively, and with generosity. That’s why we introduced 'Postponed Treats', a small gesture with a big heart.
Here’s how it works: a visitor pays in advance for an extra drink or snack, not for themselves, but for someone they will never meet. The prepaid treat is represented by a discreet little card, displayed on a board in the café. Another visitor, perhaps someone for whom a simple coffee or snack is not an easy expense, can quietly take a card and pay with it at the counter.
It’s an act of kindness that ripples outward. One guest’s generosity becomes another guest’s joy, transforming a café visit into something more meaningful than just eating or drinking.
One afternoon, a mother and her two children hesitated in front of the counter, calculating what they could afford. The youngest reached for a “postponed treat” card, and with a smile, ordered a hot chocolate, something they hadn’t planned on. For the family, it was a moment of unexpected happiness, for the unknown donor, it was a silent gift that made their day lighter.
The Deffered Happiness cards or Postponed Treats embodies the spirit of Hidrodoe: sharing, caring, and ensuring that everyone feels welcome, no matter their circumstances or background. It is one of the many ways we turn our mission into action: creating a 9+ visitor experience where hospitality, sustainability, and humanity come together in every detail.
Attractions can make a very important contribution to a shared and better future for all based on equity, diversity, interdependence and mutual respect.
Partners
A huge thank you to the Hidrodoe team for always searching for new solutions and tools to remove all possible barriers and truly welcome and host everyone. A big shout out to all the experienced experts who provide us with advice and support and give us many tips to make the experience even better for people with disabilities or other limitations. And thanks to the specialised organisations for their expertise, advice and support, Toerisme voor Autisme, Inter, Toerisme Vlaanderen, Toerisme Provincie Antwerpen, Symfoon, Iedereen Verdient Vakantie, UITPas, ...
