Inclusion guide for communities presented in Hard. Self-representatives from Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg discuss fields of action.
Hard, May 3, 2023 – Inclusion in communities is key to independent living. On the occasion of the Day of Inclusion on May 5th, the self-advocates of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg discussed their demands for living together on an equal footing with the Mayor of Hard, Martin Staudinger. Lebenshilfe Austria developed the current guidelines for inclusive communities with the aim of creating a barrier-free and equal environment for everyone in the communities.
People with disabilities belong in the middle of society. Access to inclusive educational institutions and jobs as well as the creation of barrier-free and individually designed living space are the cornerstones of successful inclusion.
“15 years ago, when it ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Austria committed itself to enabling people with disabilities to lead a self-determined life and be included in the community,” explains Klaus Brunner, self-advocate and board member of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg. “However, there is still a lack of appropriate measures in the communities. Many strategies for barrier-free coexistence have been implemented in the market town of Hard. However, with our guidelines we would like to support the development of further action plans.”
Martin Staudinger receives guidelines for inclusive communities.
With the words “Forward-looking things have already been implemented, but there is still a lot to do”, the mayor of the market town of Hard, Martin Staudinger, received the inclusion guidelines for communities from Lebenshilfe Austria at the weekly market in Hard.
“Inclusion can only succeed in dialogue with everyone,” says Martin Staudinger, Mayor of the market town of Hard, and states how important it is that everyone in the community feels cared for and understood. “Everyone wants to be part of a functioning and appreciative community, I would like to give all Harders this opportunity,” explains Martin Staudinger.
On the Day of Inclusion, the self-representation team of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg would also like to show positive examples of how the path to an inclusive community can look like. The almost completely barrier-free town center and the school by the lake, where diversity is lived, can be mentioned here, among other things. Although much has already been achieved, there is still room for improvement.
Day of Inclusion in Austria
In numerous Austrian municipalities, the guidelines for inclusive municipalities are handed over to mayors on the day of inclusion by self-advocates. “The Lebenshilfe in Austria work closely with the self-advocates because they are experts on their own behalf. Through this cooperation, we in Vorarlberg were able to point out central necessities and achieve milestones on our path to inclusion,” says Michaela Wagner-Braito, Managing Director of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg. “The guidelines for inclusive communities and the planned talks with the mayors should make a decisive contribution to creating the necessary offer together,” Michaela Wagner-Braito continues.
“Mitanand” instead of next to each other
The vision of Lebenshilfe Vorarlberg is that all people can live together in a way that is valued in their differences. Children with and without disabilities attend the same kindergartens and schools in their neighborhood. Training and work take place together in inclusive companies. In their free time, everyone has the opportunity to take part in sports clubs, theater or music groups of their choice.
