An initiative of
PALA Institute for Spiral Cognition
The PCHO directory
Organisations for everyday life — in Aargau, across Switzerland and beyond.
Support in the Zurzach district
Pro Senectute lists its advice office for the Zurzach district on this locations page. It provides a local starting point for older people and relatives looking for contact information and advice.
Deaf and hearing advice in Aargau
BFSUG Aargau Solothurn advises Deaf and hard-of-hearing people on everyday life, work, family and communication. The regional service provides both email and an online contact form.
Disability support in Aargau
Pro Infirmis Aargau offers advice on housing, work and participation for disabled people and their families. It is a starting point for questions about everyday life and finding suitable support.
Social and financial advice
Pro Infirmis Aargau provides free social counselling on disability insurance, financial difficulties and everyday life. This service offers a place to discuss your situation and possible next steps.
Advice and support for older people
Pro Senectute Aargau provides guidance for later life, including finances, housing and day-to-day support. Its website also brings together activities and ways to stay socially connected.
Meet the Aargau wheelchair club
Rollstuhlclub Aargau is a regional starting point for wheelchair sport, club life and shared activities. Explore its website to learn about the club and ways to connect.
Sight-loss advice in Aarau
SICHTBAR Aarau offers free advice for blind and low-vision people and their relatives. It provides a local starting point for discussing questions about sight loss and support.
Plan a more accessible home or workplace
The Swiss Paraplegic Association’s specialist service in Muhen advises on accessible homes, buildings and workplaces. Its guidance supports people exploring adaptations and barrier-free design across Switzerland.
Request accessible transport in Aargau
TIXI Aargau offers transport for Aargau residents who cannot use public transport, or can do so only with difficulty. Its booking information includes email and telephone contact.
Find speech-language support in Aargau
VAL is the association of speech and language therapists in Aargau. Its directory lists practices, hospitals and routes for different age groups, helping you find professional contacts in the canton.
Official Swiss IV information
The AHV/IV Information Centre publishes official information about Swiss disability insurance. Its fact sheets and forms help you understand the topics and prepare questions for the responsible office.
Explore communication aids and AAC
Active Communication provides augmentative and alternative communication aids, speech-output tools and adapted ways to operate devices. Its website introduces options for people who need support to communicate.
Prepare an emergency plan
Alertswiss provides information and templates for preparing a personal emergency plan. The materials include multilingual and Easy Read options.
Alzheimer advice and contact
Alzheimer Schweiz is a national contact point for questions about dementia. Its advice and contact information can help people affected and their families find a starting point for support.
Find dementia services nearby
alzguide brings together dementia-related advice, groups and respite services. Its regional search helps people with dementia and those supporting them find relevant organisations.
Find a speech-language professional
The DLV is the professional association for speech and language therapists in German-speaking Switzerland. Its website provides routes to cantonal associations and specialist professionals.
Talk to someone confidentially
Die Dargebotene Hand offers confidential support when life feels difficult. Its contact page brings together telephone, chat and email options.
Official disability support contacts
The Federal Bureau for the Equality of People with Disabilities brings together advice services, organisations and information about assistive tools. This official directory helps you find a specialist starting point in Switzerland.
Find Eurokey toilets and facilities
Eurokey information explains the key system used for designated facilities and provides a Swiss location map. It helps you find facilities that use the system and understand how access works.
Communication options after brain injury
FRAGILE Suisse publishes a specialist interview about augmentative and alternative communication. It explains communication aids and the process of finding an approach that suits the person.
Disability-related legal advice
Inclusion Handicap offers specialist advice on social insurance and disability equality. Its legal-advice information is a starting point for questions about disability-related rights.
Find services near you
Infosenior is a directory of services for older people in Switzerland. Search by place and topic to explore support and activities relevant to your area.
Use text relay for phone conversations
PROCOM’s text relay connects a typed conversation with a telephone call. You write in a chat while a relay operator conveys the conversation between you and the person on the phone.
Sign-language video relay
PROCOM’s VideoCom connects a sign-language video conversation with a telephone call. It provides a route for communicating with a hearing person by telephone through an interpreter.
Arrange a sign-language interpreter
PROCOM provides sign-language interpreting for conversations, learning and events. Its website explains the service and how to make an enquiry or booking.
Hearing advice and daily-life support
Pro Audito Schweiz provides independent advice and information for people with hearing loss. Its website offers routes to hearing advice and support for communication in everyday life.
Arrange live speech-to-text support
Pro Audito Schweiz offers speech-to-text interpreting, turning spoken words into readable text. The service provides a communication route for in-person and online situations.
Check access information before a visit
Pro Infirmis provides digital accessibility information about buildings and facilities. Detailed entries help you investigate features such as routes and entrances when planning a visit.
Explore accessible-travel information
Procap Reisen & Sport provides travel information and links to offers for disabled people. Its website is a starting point for exploring trips and leisure possibilities.
Accessible Swiss rail travel
SBB provides information about accessible rail travel and assistance with boarding and leaving trains. Use its guidance to prepare a journey and find the appropriate assistance route.
Audiobooks and accessible reading
The SBS library offers audiobooks and accessible reading resources for people with print disabilities. Explore its collection and information about using the library.
Sight loss and deafblind support
SZBLIND provides specialist information on sight loss and combined sight and hearing impairment. Its resources are for affected people, relatives and professionals looking for advice and support routes.
Swiss emergency telephone numbers
The Swiss federal portal ch.ch lists official emergency numbers and explains which service each number reaches. It is a reference for emergency information in Switzerland.
Find wheelchair peer advice
The Swiss Paraplegic Association offers peer advice from people with wheelchair experience. Conversations focus on independence, mobility and everyday life.
Advice for blind and low-vision people
The Swiss Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired offers advice, information about assistive devices and support for everyday life. Its advice and training pages help you explore the available routes.
Deaf community, learning and participation
The Swiss Federation of the Deaf provides information on deafness, sign languages, education and work. Its website also introduces the federation’s services and routes to community participation.
Explore sign-language learning
The Swiss Federation of the Deaf provides routes to sign-language courses and online learning. Explore its learning information to find a suitable starting point.
Find home-care services
Spitex Schweiz provides a directory of home-care organisations. Enter a town or postcode to find local services and their contact information.
Explore Deaf sport and community
Swiss Deaf Sport brings together information about Deaf sport, clubs and participation. Explore the organisation’s website for connections to sporting activities and community.
Stammering: information and connection
VERSTA — Stottern Schweiz provides information, advice and peer-connection routes for people who stammer and their relatives. Its website helps you explore support and exchange with others.
Advice on living with aphasia
aphasie suisse provides information and advice about living with aphasia. It helps people with aphasia, relatives and those around them find relevant support and points of contact.
Online scam and cyber-safety information
The Federal Office for Cyber Security provides official Swiss information about online risks and scams. Its website also explains how to report cyber incidents.
Peer advice on sight loss
CAB offers peer counselling for blind and low-vision adults in German-speaking Switzerland and their support networks. The service brings lived experience of sight loss into the conversation.
Making information easier to understand
This federal information explains ways to make communication easier to understand. It is useful for people preparing clearer information or learning about Easy Read.
Spotting scams targeting older adults
Pro Senectute explains common scams affecting older people. Its practical information helps readers recognise suspicious approaches and become more aware of warning signs.
Support with rights and everyday life
Procap brings together information and support on legal questions, housing, leisure and participation. Explore its services to find a route that matches the part of everyday life you want help with.
Accessible books for children and young people
Buchknacker is an accessible reading offer from SBS for children and young people with reading difficulties. This page introduces the library and its books.
AAC: different ways to communicate
This English-language ASHA/NJC introduction explains augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is a starting point for learning about communication that supplements or replaces speech.
Make devices easier to use
AbilityNet’s My Computer My Way library provides step-by-step guides for making devices easier to use. Browse instructions for vision, hearing, movement and cognitive access needs.
iPhone: understand Live Captions
Apple’s official Live Captions guide explains how supported devices can display spoken content as text. It provides a starting point for exploring automatic captions.
Apple: type text and have it spoken
Apple’s Live Speech guide explains how to type text and have a supported device speak it aloud. It is a communication tool for expressing your own message, rather than a captioning service.
Visual assistance via app
Be My Eyes is an app for blind and low-vision people seeking visual assistance. It connects users with volunteers and offers AI-based help with visual information.
Android: show conversations as text
Google’s Live Transcribe guidance explains automatic conversion of speech into text on supported Android devices. It helps you explore a text-based way to follow spoken conversations.
Android: turn on TalkBack
Google’s official guide explains how to turn on TalkBack, the Android screen reader. It is a starting point for accessing a phone or tablet through spoken feedback.
Free NVDA Windows screen reader
NV Access develops NVDA, a free screen reader for Windows computers. The download page provides a starting point for accessing text and controls through screen reading.
AbilityNet digital inclusion
AbilityNet publishes information about digital inclusion for disabled and older people. Its English-language resources help you explore more accessible ways to use technology.
Age UK advice for older adults
Age UK provides information about later life, including care, money and wellbeing. Its English-language advice library is organised around practical everyday questions.
Mac: screen reading and magnification
Apple’s official Mac accessibility guidance explains tools including VoiceOver and Zoom. It helps you explore screen reading, magnification and other built-in settings.
Android: magnify the screen
Google’s official Android guidance explains screen magnification. It helps you find the settings for enlarging what appears on your phone or tablet.
RNIB: everyday living with sight loss
RNIB publishes practical English-language guides about everyday life with sight loss. Browse information that can help you explore ways of managing daily activities.
RNIB: technology for sight loss
RNIB provides information about assistive technology for blind and low-vision people. Its technology pages introduce support and learning routes for using devices.
Scope disability guidance
Scope provides English-language guidance on a broad range of disability-related topics. Its advice library helps readers explore information relevant to everyday life and participation.