© Österreichischer Behindertenrat
A dispute over access and funding
According to the Disability Council, the federal government would have made €52 million available to Vienna. The organisation argued that participation would extend assistance to more people with different disabilities and improve insecure employment conditions. BIZEPS supported the protest and urged the city to reconsider its decision. [1]
People described the consequences
BIZEPS reported contributions from people excluded from assistance and from their representatives. Roswitha Schachinger, then vice-president of the Disability Council, criticised the exclusion of people with learning difficulties, blind people and people with mental health conditions. Simon Couvreur of Down-Syndrom Österreich linked access to assistance with equal opportunities to live and work.
A demand across provincial boundaries
“We want personal assistance throughout Austria for all disabled people, wherever they live,” said Council president Klaus Widl. Participants also raised the problem of losing support after moving between provinces. The rally connected wider eligibility with control over everyday life: choosing where to live and being able to participate in work and community life. [1][2]