Disability representatives from Germany's federal and state governments have united in opposition to proposed budget cuts affecting integration assistance for people with disabilities. In a joint declaration released Thursday following a conference in Celle, officials warned that the measures would systematically undermine participation rights.
The controversy stems from a working paper developed by federal, state, and municipal umbrella organizations that outlines drastic reduction plans in child and youth welfare services as well as integration assistance for people with disabilities. The document, prepared by a working group, proposes replacing individual entitlements to integration aids and school assistants for affected children and young people with so-called group solutions.
"The proposed measures aim predominantly at one-sided cuts, whose cumulative effect raises fears of a systematic erosion of participation rights," the disability representatives stated in their joint declaration.
The representatives emphasized that "the proposed measures would not be compatible with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities." They identified the potential restriction of the right to choose and wish as "particularly problematic," noting that this right "is the foundation for independent living for people with disabilities."
"The proposals would lead to unreasonable restrictions in the participation of people with disabilities," the officials declared.
Federal Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities Jürgen Dusel argued that savings could only be achieved through reducing "excessive bureaucracy" and implementing "a cross-departmental inclusion strategy by the federal government, states, and municipalities."
The goal, he explained, is to enable affected individuals through independent living to "have the chance to move out of receiving integration assistance." This approach could also prevent costly forced placements in residential facilities.
"Every person must have the opportunity to choose where and with whom they want to live and where they want to work," demanded Lower Saxony's Commissioner and conference host Annetraud Grote. She emphasized the importance of early inclusion rather than placing people with disabilities first in special kindergartens and schools and then in sheltered workshops.
Those who participate independently in working life, earn their own income, and live in barrier-free housing are "more independent of tax-financed services," the representatives emphasized in their statement. They also stressed the importance of accessibility in public transportation.
"The more inclusive our society is, the fewer people depend on integration assistance," the declaration states. Achieving this requires a cross-departmental strategy at federal and state levels.
"This is not about doing something nice for people with disabilities, it is about implementing human rights," Dusel stressed. He called for private providers such as medical practices to be obligated to ensure barrier-free access. Grote generally called for more encounters between people with and without disabilities to promote mutual understanding.
According to calculations by the Paritätischer Gesamtverband (German Parity Welfare Association), the federal-state working group's list of cuts includes reduction proposals totaling at least €8.6 billion. Beyond integration assistance and other entitlements for people with disabilities, the proposals also target cuts to maintenance advance payments for single parents and other services. However, there has not yet been any internal government coordination on these proposals.
The reduction proposals are partially contradictory to requirements of the Basic Law and the UN Convention, explained Left Party parliamentary group leader Sören Pellmann. They would result in "significantly restricted equal and inclusive participation in life for many affected individuals," he criticized.
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