Under the motto "Together for more participation and fewer barriers", the state capital of Wiesbaden is inviting people to take part in various activities in and in front of the town hall from 3 pm to 6 pm. Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende will open the protest day together with the State Commissioner for People with Disabilities, Andreas Winkel, at 3 pm.

"As Lord Mayor, it is important to me to further consolidate the issue of an inclusive urban society. As an urban society, we must do everything we can to ensure that participation in all areas of life becomes a matter of course. The day of protest is both a strong signal and a reminder that inclusion is a joint, ongoing task," emphasizes Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende.

The state capital of Wiesbaden is inviting people to the day of protest together with the interest groups of people with disabilities. "Accessibility must be a matter of course. Justice means that all people can live, participate and make decisions on an equal footing. Accessibility is a human right - not a matter for negotiation," says Heike Mailänder, Deputy Chairwoman of the Inclusion and Accessibility Working Group.

The Expert Council in Wiesbaden is also campaigning for greater accessibility. "Everyone should be able to participate everywhere," explains spokesperson Marius Ohlendorf. On the day of protest, the Expert Council wants to invite people to name daily barriers and mark them on a map of Wiesbaden.

All citizens with or without disabilities are cordially invited to take part in the protest day in and in front of the town hall. After the welcome, there will be presentations on the topic of "Self-determined living and working" at 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. At 4 pm, the ME/CFS Post Covid Initiative is planning a demonstration in front of the town hall. For the younger ones, there will be an inclusive play mobile on Schlossplatz from 3 pm to 6 pm, inviting them to join in. Visitors can obtain information at the stands of various inclusion stakeholders. Two traveling exhibitions in the foyer will also offer interesting impulses on the topic of "Universal Design" and "Silent Hour - Inclusion through Lack of Stimulation".

"I am delighted that we are organizing the protest day in Wiesbaden for the first time with many active players in the town hall. We need the 5th of May to be a visible day of demands and dialog," says municipal inclusion officer Andrea Hausy.

Background:

On May 5, campaigns will take place across Germany to mark the European Day of Protest for Equality for People with Disabilities. Inclusion is a human right, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) more than 15 years ago. In Wiesbaden, the day of protest is being organized jointly by the Inclusion and Accessibility Working Group, the Expert Council and the Municipal Inclusion Officer.

Further information on the day of protest is available from the municipal inclusion officer of the state capital Wiesbaden, e-mail inklusionsbeauftragtewiesbadende telephone (0611) 315896 and at www.wiesbaden.de/inklusion. (opens in a new tab)

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