Viennese government blocks important help for people with disabilities!

Viennese government blocks important help for people with disabilities!

Ecke Lichtenfelsgasse/Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz, 1010 Wien, Österreich - On December 6, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., an important rally takes place in front of the Vienna town hall, in which people with disabilities in Vienna demand the participation in the pilot project to expand and harmonize personal assistance. This project would be a crucial support for numerous Viennese with disabilities that rely on adapted help. More than 52 million euros in funding from the federal government would have been made available to establish a modern and functioning structure of personal assistance, but the Vienna city government rejected the accession at the last minute, which is left behind in outdated and inadequate systems, as Klaus Widl, President of the Austrian Council of Disability, explains. He emphasizes that the opportunities for a regulation that is harmonized across Austria have never been so close, but the rejection of the city government prevents serious progress.

Viennese politics is criticized because the promised contract was not signed to harmonize personal assistance. Martin Ladstätter, chairman of Biceps, denounces that Vienna does without important funding instead of creating solutions for people with disabilities. Roswitha Schachinger, Vice President of the Austrian Disabled Council, also emphasizes that Vienna's refusal not only makes access to help for people with learning difficulties or mental illnesses, but also further cemented precarious employment relationships for assistants. "52 million euros could have revolutionized personal assistance in Vienna," she explains, disappointed and calls for participation in the rally to fight together for the rights of those who are dependent on support.

important demands for the future

On November 29, 2024, the Austrian Disabled Council invited to a press conference to draw attention to the problem of personal assistance. The way for Vienna's accession to the Federal Directive had already been paved, and the Vienna city government had had the necessary steps for over a year. But the unexpected withdrawal at the last minute has all preparations and shows that it is urgently needed to rethink in Viennese politics. "We are calling for the city government to sign the contract and observe the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities," says Michael Fink, Chairman of the Vienna Monitoring Office for the rights of people with disabilities. The persistent refusal of creating appropriate framework conditions not only ensures disappointment, but also harms those who rely on just and inclusive support, also indicated biceps in his appeal to the city government.

The rally at the Vienna City Hall is supported by many committed people who hope for a quick and sustainable change in order to enable a self -determined life for all people with disabilities in Vienna href = "https://www.ots.at/presseausendung/ots_20241202_ots0143/kundunft-am-6-dezember-2024-beimwiener-rathaus"> ots.at and biceps.or.at . Time is pushing and the fate of many affected people depends on the decisions of the city government.