Suche
Controversial accessibility: Council hesitates despite citizens' concerns!
The equal opportunities officer in Stendal criticizes the council for the lack of accessibility in the town hall renovation.
Controversial accessibility: Council hesitates despite citizens' concerns!
A controversial decision in the Osterburg city council is causing a stir: the plan not to make the town hall completely barrier-free has met with strong criticism from the equal opportunities officer for the Stendal district, Elisabeth Seyer. She is disappointed and describes the decision as a matter of respect for citizens with disabilities. Despite the protest, city council chairman Torsten Werner argues that access for people with walking difficulties is ensured via a separate room on the ground floor. Seyer disagrees and describes this solution as an “excuse” that is not enough to ensure real inclusion. The building regulations in Saxony-Anhalt require that public buildings should generally be barrier-free, although there are exceptions, such as: MDR reported, if the effort and benefit are not in proportion.
New framework agreement for assistance for the disabled
Meanwhile, in Saxony-Anhalt there are signals of a profound change in support for the disabled. The country terminated the existing framework agreement at the end of the year, which should ensure a seamless transition to a new agreement on January 1, 2025 ms.sachsen-anhalt.de informed. Social Affairs Minister Petra Grimm-Benne emphasized that the current agreements will continue to apply until they are renegotiated. This is to ensure that services for people with disabilities are not lost. The reform aims to improve the social participation of these people and to offer them tailor-made offers.
The necessary paradigm shift in disability assistance raises questions, particularly with regard to individual support for those in need. The goal is to change the existing system to meet people's specific wants and needs. Expenditure on integration assistance is expected to increase steadily in the coming years, which underlines the importance of the reform. With these measures, Saxony-Anhalt shows a clear will to promote inclusion and meet the needs of people with disabilities.