The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities has been in force in Germany since 2009. The German Basic Law states that all people are equal. This includes people with disabilities. No one should face discrimination because of a disability. All individuals with disabilities should be fully included in social life. In practice, however, life is often more difficult for the disabled. Inclusion is not yet a reality everywhere.

The German government provides support for people with disabilities. For example, they have to pay less tax and have access to counselling services. They also receive medical care. Sometimes, childcare or household assistance is paid for. The support they receive depends on what disability they have.

To receive state support, you need a severely disabled person’s pass. You can apply for this pass at the pension office (Versorgungsamt). The pass entitles you to use public transport, in other words buses or underground trains, free of charge. You also get free admission to museums.

People with disabilities receive support when seeking employment and they are protected in the workplace. Employers are not allowed to terminate their employment without good reason. Equal opportunities officers make sure that people with disabilities do not experience discrimination in the workplace.

People with disabilities should be able to lead a good life like everybody else. To make this possible, it’s important that they can move around in their environment independently. In Germany, steps are being taken to ensure that public buildings, and also buses and trams are accessible to wheelchair users. Ramps are often provided. Unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere. Not all underground stations are accessible and wheelchair-friendly. There is not always a lift.

Grooves in pavements are designed to help visually impaired or blind people. This makes it easier for them to find their way into buildings or to bus stops with their cane. Traffic lights often emit a certain sound, signalling to blind people when it’s safe to cross the road. Some public buildings have signs in Braille.

Websites should also be accessible. Everyone should be able to use the information there. For example, government offices and local authorities often provide the most important information in plain language, so that it is understandable for all citizens. For visually impaired people, websites should use contrasting colours for texts and backgrounds to improve readability. The content should also be presented in such a way that a screen reader can read everything aloud.

Do you have a child with a disability or chronic illness? Your local youth welfare office is available to provide support.

Early intervention and support programmes are available for young children, from birth up to school age. Such programmes are designed to help children with a disability or those who learn at a slower pace. There are special “vision schools”, for example, or language support programmes.

Children with a disability can also attend a kindergarten. There are inclusive kindergartens that welcome children with and without disabilities. But there are also specialised kindergartens for children with disabilities.

The same applies to schools. In Germany, there are specialised schools specifically for children with disabilities or special needs. And there are schools offering inclusive education. This means that children with and without disabilities are taught together. This is different in every federal state.

When rights are not respected, this can sometimes constitute discrimination. You can find out how to deal with this in the section “Handling discrimination”.