Day of Persons with Disabilities: Numerous Organizations Emphasize the Need for Inclusion

The disability association "KOBV Austria" criticized that the current austerity measures in Austria particularly affect people with disabilities, and this on several levels: Programs for personal assistance are expiring, labor market projects are losing their funding, and social budgets are also being cut. "The inclusion of people with disabilities is at stake," explained President Franz Groschan: "We will be set back by years due to the planned cuts." The austerity measures are in stark contrast to the principle of solidarity and endanger the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Austria ratified in 2008.

Setbacks in Accessibility

In a statement, the Austrian Association of the Deaf (ÖGLB) also warned of massive setbacks in accessibility and equal participation due to the austerity measures announced in the federal double budget for 2025/26 in the social sector. "We are appalled at how the social safety net is being dismantled in the face of tight budgets. For people affected by poverty and exclusion, the ill-considered austerity measures will have serious consequences," criticized Gerlinde Heim, managing director of VertretungsNetz.

The Aid Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austria spoke of a day of warning. The organization warns that due to the pressure to save, a dangerous inequality mechanism is solidifying in Austria: Many small savings - distributed across the federal and state levels - do not affect people with disabilities individually, but collectively.

Disability advocate Christine Steger called for a "profound reorganization of the classic 'disability assistance'" during the ongoing reform partnership negotiations between the federal government, states, and municipalities. The current fragmentation of responsibilities is confusing and burdensome for people with disabilities and their families, often leading to necessary services being granted late or not being utilized at all, criticized Steger.

"Rights, Not Charity"

From the Ombudsman's Office, Gabriela Schwarz, nominated by the ÖVP, emphasized that accessibility is not a choice but a duty. It is not about an extra service or luxury, but a fundamental right. Her SPÖ colleague Bernhard Achitz criticized that neither the federal government nor the states are fulfilling the obligations of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "People with disabilities need rights, not charity," he emphasized. Martina Lackner from the ÖGB argued similarly, underscoring the equal participation of people with disabilities as a human right.

Politically, FPÖ spokesperson for people with disabilities, Christian Ragger, criticized the federal government. "In the area of disability and care, no progress has been made nor any serious reform for more participation implemented. Instead, there are brutal social cuts, precisely affecting those people who need our help the most," he criticized in a press release. The Vienna Greens warned of cuts in the federal capital as well. SPÖ and NEOS are putting even more pressure on people with disabilities, according to the state party chairwoman Judith Pühringer.

Participation Non-Negotiable for SPÖ Worldwide

For the SPÖ, their spokesperson for foreign and global sustainability policy, Petra Bayr, reminded that participation, self-determination, and human rights for people with disabilities are non-negotiable worldwide. Her party colleague Verena Nussbaum described the UN Convention as a "compass" for the federal government.

Fiona Fiedler, NEOS spokesperson for people with disabilities, warned of setbacks in the school sector. To those who labeled the claim for inclusive education as "social romanticism," she countered: "Anyone who speaks like this ignores not only scientific findings but also social reality. Children do not belong on the fringes; they belong in the center of society." The Catholic Action also emphasized this. "Special schools are an educational policy setback," stressed their vice president Thomas Immervoll.

"Disability History Project" at hdgö Extended

In April of last year, the House of Austrian History (hdgö), together with the Ministry of Social Affairs, launched the Disability History Project to make the history and perspectives of people with disabilities more visible. On Wednesday, Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) announced that the project will be extended until 2027. "The impressive participation of the community and the far-exceeded project goals show how great the need for recognition, processing, and awareness-raising is," Schumann said at a press conference. Following the call for collections published last year, over 400 objects were offered to the museum. On Saturday, the "Disability History Action Day" will take place at hdgö.

(APA/Red.)

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