awareness on CCC Event Blog

Awareness, Auti, Accessibility auf dem 39C3

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

TL;DR

Various support structures are available for you at 39C3.
Awareness: e.g. in cases of discrimination, boundary violations, harassment and (sexualised) violence.
c3auti: Needs and problems of neurodivergent beings
Accessibility: easy access and minor support issues on site.
Contact details can be found in the text below and at help.ccc.de.
In addition, CERT is available for medical care, CrewCrew for security issues and the arbitration board for serious conflicts.
Please read the principles.

All Creatures Welcome

“What brings us together is not what we already know, but what we still want to learn. This exchange of knowledge is only possible if we approach each other with an open mind and with an attitude of mutual respect and support. We want to create an environment characterised by tolerance, respect, curiosity, fun, openness to communicate, friendliness and consideration”, as stated by our principles. The Chaos Communication Congress aspires to be a space where all beings can find a place – as free as possible from harassment, boundary violations and discrimination, and to be needs-oriented and with as few barriers as possible. To get closer to this goal, there are various teams that take care of different aspects and are there to provide support:

The awareness team can be contacted in cases of discrimination, boundary violations, harassment and (sexualised) violence, or if you have previous experience of such issues and need help dealing with them at the event.
The c3auti team is the point of contact for the needs and problems of neurodivergent beings and takes care of the QuietQube. The QuietCube can also be used by beings who are not neurodivergent.
c3accessibility deals with accessibility issues in advance and is also available at the information desk for minor support requests.

In addition, you can also contact

the CERT, the medical and fire safety team,
the CrewCrew, our security team (consisting of women and non-binary persons) and
the arbitration board are also available to assist you.

c3awareness

People can turn to the awareness team when they have experienced discrimination, boundary violations, harassment or even sexualised violence and there is a connection to the event. Sometimes the issue is about break ups, conflicts, or uncertainty about how to deal with a challenging situation. It might also be a case of people just being overwhelmed by the event and its many impressions.

We are partial, meaning that we are on the side of the person who asks us for support. We do not seek to determine what is right or wrong – our focus is always on ‘How are you feeling about this?’. Naturally, we treat all conversations as confidential.

During the conversation, we will work together to find out how attending the rest of the event can be made as pleasant an experience as possible. Sometimes, however, it is not possible to resolve the issue.

Many of the experiences that cause people to contact us did not happen at the event itself but beforehand. However, they do affect participation in the event because the other person may also be there. Boundary violations, including (sexualised) violence, have a lasting impact on people. The experience must be processed, certain situations are difficult to endure afterwards, and trust in other people or that nothing will ‘happen’ can be shaken or destroyed. Those affected often fear that they will not be believed or that they will even be held responsible (or blamed) for what happened. This makes it difficult for them to talk about their experiences. The thought that the person who committed the assault or violence is at the event, or that an encounter with them could occur, can cause anxiety. Often, the consequence is that those affected no longer feel comfortable and sooner or later stay away. We try to counteract this through our work.

Contact

Phone: +49 40 5730830 113
DECT: 113
Matrix: @c3awareness:fairydust.space
Mastodon: https://chaos.social/@c3awareness
Email: team@c3awareness.de

Find out more about our work on our webpage and in our Talk at 37C3.

c3auti

The conference is a great event, but it can quickly lead to sensory overload and exhaustion. Many members of the c3auti team are autistic and are familiar with this situation.

c3auti is a team that specifically focuses on the needs and challenges of neurodivergent beings (Autism, AD(H)D, …), as well as beings who would like to take advantage of these offers. All creatures are welcome.

With the QuietQube we offer a quieter place for low‑key socializing/hacking. In addition to a listening ear, you’ll also find tools such as stimming toys or hearing protection. If you need even more quietness, we’re happy to provide you with a silent/dark retreat via the Silent Room. Just let one of our angels know.

In the event of a melt-/shutdown, call us at 1199 or signal another being to do this for you. We’ll pick you up and escort you along the quickest route to a quiet, secluded place where we can support you. Through our close collaboration, we can also connect you – if you wish – with CERT, Awareness, or CrewCrew (Security).

Contact

These numbers are open from 10:00 to 03:00 (morning to late night) during the event. Outside these hours, CERT can be reached in emergencies by dialing 112 (DECT).

DECT: 2884 generally (“AUTI”) / 1199 in acute situations
Phone: +49 40 5730830 2884 generally / +49 40 5730830 1199 acute
Email: support@c3auti.de
Mastodon: https://chaos.social/@c3auti

Accessibility

For several years now, this team has been working to remove barriers at the Congress. The team has compiled a large amount of information on accessibility on the infopages and is also available to answer any questions or concerns you may have before the event.

In addition to the information desk, there will be a special contact point for all accessibility issues at the event. There you can ask for help if you need assistance with anything specific. You can also let them know if you encounter any further barriers.

The accessibility help desk is a first-level support service, similar to the information desk, but it may have more experience and sensitivity in supporting people with disabilities. Communication cards containing basic information on how to interact with people with disabilities are also available there. Limited short-term assistance may also be provided. If you foresee that you will need constant personal assistance, please bring your own.

You can also make your own hidden disabilities badge at the accessibility help desk or get help creating one.

@c3tactile is working on tactile signage and floor plans. The team is also supplementing the tactile guidance system already in place at CCH. Please keep the strips clear, as well as the escape routes.

And one more request: some people rely on the lifts to get from one floor to another in the CCH. If you do not need to take the lift, please use the stairs and escalators, as the lifts quickly reach their capacity limits.

Contact

DECT: 1155
Phone: +49 40 5730830 1155
Email: 39c3-accessibility@cccv.de
Matrix Room: #accessibility:events.ccc.de

Header ImageImage CC BY-SA 2.0 Leah Oswald_

Camp 2023 – Awareness

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0200

There will be an awareness team at the camp in 2023 again. c3awareness is there for you if, for example:

you have been harassed or discriminated against,
your personal boundaries have been violated,
you experience (personal or structural) discrimination,
you feel uncomfortable and need a person to talk to.

The most direct way to reach us is by DECT (113), but you can also contact us by mail, via Mastodon or Matrix. If you don’t have DECT, you can also go to the Infodesk or ask someone with DECT to call us. Or you can come to our contact point at CERT.

If you are asking yourself, “Can I go to the Awareness Team already?”, the answer is: Yes! We are there for you.

You can recognise us in person by our pink-purple glowing badges (see above).

How we work

We have a room available for confidential conversations if you want to talk. You decide what you want to tell us. And you decide how to proceed from there. We will support you in finding ways of dealing with the situation or taking action if the need arises. Everything we discuss is confidential, unless we agree otherwise. We invite you to also read our more detailed introduction.

If you have experienced something that you would like to bring to the Arbitration Board, we will be happy to accompany you or prepare this with you. The Arbitration Board is responsible if there is a serious violation of the principles of the event and formal measures are to be taken against a person. You can find more information and the rules of procedure on the page of the Arbitration Board.

If you have physical or medical problems, you can get help from CERT. For safety issues, you can contact the CrewCrew. The c3awareness team also works closely with both teams when necessary.

If the many impressions, flashing lights, lots of people or loud noises get to you, you can go to the QuietPlace. The c3auti team provides support for people on the autistic spectrum, their place is also for all quiet-loving beings. The c3auti team has also helped organise accessibility in general. For example, the helpdesk offers Hidden Disabilities badges as well as solutions if you can’t wait in queues. Detailed information about accessibility for visitors and Villages can be found in the wiki.

Principles and “Your Rights”

We would also like to point out the revised principles – which can be found on help.ccc.de. Let’s work together for a solidary and responsible community! One step towards this is to look at one’s own needs and limits. And to be aware that these can be different for other people. The “Your rights” posters are intended to encourage this.

Showers

The issue of showering was a major concern for us during the preparation phase of the camp. The challenge of showering together with others is different for different people. That’s why we’re letting you know what shower options there will be (if nothing goes wrong). Here is the plan – but this can still change, depending on the situation on site:

Family Village in the North

24 showers total
6 of these are single cabins including a dry area for changing clothes
6 showers next to each other for FLINTA (femmes, lesbians, inter, non-binary, trans, agender persons)
2× 6 showers next to each other for all genders

Shower Wonderland in the West

36 showers total
6 of these are single cabins including a dry area for changing clothes
2× 6 showers next to each other for FLINTA (femmes, lesbians, inter, non-binary, trans, agender persons)
3× 6 showers next to each other for all genders

Showers in the South

12 showers total
probably 6 showers next to each other for FLINTA (femmes, lesbians, inter, non-binary, trans, agender persons)
and 6 showers next to each other for all genders

It was not possible to get shower elements with individual showers. Therefore, we tried to get at least a few improvised single cabins.

Single showers

Not all beings are able to shower in open, non-lockable shower tents. The following alternatives exist:

Lockable individual shower containers: The Awareness Team and Heaven have access to lockable single shower containers (gray shower/toilet containers, map M9). Please contact them to gain access.
Wheelchair accessible showers+WCs: there are 3 wheelchair accessible containers with WC and shower. The CERT will give you access to the container north of the entrance (Map U13) and to the container directly at the CERT. Access to the container south-west of the Heaven (map M13) you get from Heaven. The wheelchair accessible containers are for people with physical disabilities.

Access will be granted without questioning your reasons.

We hope that this way all beings on the camp will have the possibility to take a shower.

Meet the Awareness-Team

You want to get to know us? Then come to our workshop! When? Unfortunately we don’t know exactly yet … But we will definitely host something as a self-organised session, which we will also announce via Mastodon. Otherwise, feel free to just get in touch with us if you want to arrange things in case you need us in any way or to have seen some faces beforehand.

If you want to be part of the team for upcoming events, you can give us your contact at the workshop or otherwise get in touch with us. We have been preparing for the camp together as a team for a few months now and will take people on only after the camp.

Kids and Teens

There will be many children and young people at the camp. That’s great!

For the first time, there will be a “Jugend-Village” (Teens Village) this year, organised by Jugend hackt and others. Jugend hackt has its own awareness structure, but we will also be in close contact with them. We as c3awareness are of course also available for participants from the Teens Village if needed.

Please pay special attention to (other) children and underage teens at workshops, talks, in your Villages and at the bars. Answer questions, provide support if needed, but also be aware of the special need for protection. The Protection of Young Persons Act (“Jugendschutzgesetz”) also applies at camp. Among other things, it regulates the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. People under the age of 18 are not allowed to smoke. Wine, beer and sparkling wine may be sold to people aged 16 to 18, but not schnapps, long drinks or similar.

You can recognise the members of the Jugend-Village by their additional wristbands. The wristbands for 14- to 16-year-olds are green, those for 16- to 18-year-olds are pink.

The Family Village already existed in 2019. It is an area at the back of the camp site that is especially suitable for children and their companions. You can read more about it in the announcement of the Kidspace.

The 34C3 Awareness Team

Sun, 24 Dec 2017 12:57:55 +0000

Not all of the 15.000 visitors at 34C3 will have the same needs and stance.

Thoughtfulness and respecting individual boundaries should be taken for granted. But within such a large crowd, individual boundaries can be crossed – sometimes even without the intention to do so.

This is why – just like in past years – there will be an awareness team at 34C3. The awareness team will work closely together with the team “Safety and Security” and the “Chaos Emergency Response Team” (CERT).

Safety & Security: DECT 110
CERT: DECT 112
Awarenessteam: DECT 113

If you do not have a DECT phone, any angel will be happy to help.
If do not see an angel, you will always find one at the infopoint, bars, or entrances.

You can also reach us via

e-Mail (c3-awareness@lists.ccc.de)
Twitter (open DM @c3awareness)
+49 4644-38299-113 from your (mobile) phone

The Awareness-Team supports you in mediating conflicts and can offer you a quiet place if you need one.

For example, we can offer help in case of intimidation, sexual harassment, stalking or discrimination of any kind (e.g. against people with disabilities; racism, sexism, homo- or transphobia). Naturally, we are also there for you in muss less dramatic cases. Please come talk to us if you are looking for support.

For all of you who only have a vague idea of what “awareness” means, we would like to briefly introduce our work: Being aware means to care for oneself and others, in particular if their appearance or behaviour does not meet predominant social norms. This is meant to create the mindfulness that is necessary to create an atmosphere of being excellent to each other.

Awareness means to accept other people’s individual boundaries. Humans make various diverging, sometimes even traumatic experiences in their life. This is what makes each and every one of us unique. And this is why individual boundaries must be respected regardless of whether we can understand or comprehend them in all detail.

We do our job without moralisation: We take a stance against encroaching or molesting behaviour and not individuals. We explicitly do not intend to label or judge anybody as a perpetrator. Instead, we aim to promote sympathy and respect for one another and each other’s boundaries. When the violation did not happen intentionally, we try to sensitize for future behaviour.

Last but not least: We will first ask you what has happened and whether you already have an idea what you would like to do and how we can support you. In case you do not have an idea yet, we’re ready to support you in developing one.

During Congress, we are available for you 24 hours a day. So please approach us if you experience problems – also, if you just need someone to talk, a quiet place, or any other kind of support.