Inclusion in the focus: Third specialist day in Ingelheim inspires participants!

Inclusion in the focus: Third specialist day in Ingelheim inspires participants!

On April 20, 2025, the third specialist day on inclusion took place in the Ingelheim district council hall. The event was organized by Yvonne Bless, the representative for the interests of people with disabilities in the Mainz-Bingen district. Around 45 participants, including self -representatives, representatives from municipal disabilities as well as specialists from youth care and members of self -help groups, came together to work on the development of concrete recommendations for the further development of the action plan. The event had the goal of promoting the exchange at eye level and strengthening existing structures.

A central concern of the specialist day was ensuring that cultural and sporting offers are accessible to all people. Almut Schultheiß-Lehn underlined how important access to these offers is. The organizers warned that people with disabilities run the risk of being taken with lonely, if not suitable measures in good time. Yvonne Bless gave an overview of the current status in the areas of culture, leisure and sport and warned the participants not to lose sight of the need for changes.

important discussion topics

The discussion included several aspects, including:

• reliable support from assistants and pilots
• barrier -free and easily understandable events
• Consideration of Safe Spaces at events
• Improvement of accessibility through offers and driving services close to home
• Creation of a central information platform for relevant offers
• relief of parents and greater integration of families into the offer design
• Financial resources by the federal, state and municipalities
• Expansion of qualification options for care workers
• establishment of a cooperative network in the district

The two central appeals from this event were: "Simply make it!" And the need for the results to be updated for inclusion in the update of the action plan. This action plan has been the basis for efforts in this area since 2010 and has been further developed since 2022. The overarching goal of the Mainz-Bingen district is to ensure equal social participation in all areas of life in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities.

the nationwide context

The Federal Government has accepted the request to improve the rights of people with disabilities by accepting the UN Disabled Rights Convention (UN-BRK). A central point at this convention is equal access to education, working world and cultural life. This was recorded in the National Action Plan , the goal of which is to promote the participation of people with disabilities.

In order to ensure the implementation of the UN-BRK in Germany, the German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) was named, which gives recommendations and advises the Federal Government on questions of the UN-BRK. The first state report for implementation was examined in Geneva in 2015 and a second exam took place in August 2023.

The knowledge from the specialist day Inclusion in Ingelheim are therefore part of a larger process in order to continuously strengthen the rights of people with disabilities and to improve their participation in society. The challenges are diverse, but the will to change is obvious.