Wiesbaden's Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende opened the event: "Inclusion is an appeal to us all. Wiesbaden has taken important steps in recent years - but we have not yet reached our goal. It is a joint task to consistently break down barriers and prejudices in our urban society."

In his welcoming address, Lord Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende announced that he had campaigned for the first municipal resolution to be written in plain language. "The city council has adopted a mission statement on inclusion. As the state capital of Wiesbaden, we are making a clear commitment to the implementation of an inclusive urban society."

The Hessian state government's representative for people with disabilities, Andreas Winkel, emphasized in his speech: "Far too often, people talk about the supposed deficits of people with disabilities. In doing so, we lose sight of their potential. For example, statistically speaking, people with disabilities without a job are better qualified than jobseekers without disabilities. They are therefore a valuable resource for the German labor market that needs to be utilized."

Heike Mailänder, Deputy Chair of the Inclusion and Accessibility Working Group, pointed out specific shortcomings: "Accessibility is still too often an afterthought. We demand that it finally becomes the basis for planning and that comprehensive accessibility measures are supported."

The protest day was organized by the state capital of Wiesbaden together with the Wiesbaden Inclusion and Accessibility Working Group and the Expert Council. Together, they made it clear that an inclusive society benefits everyone. Together for more participation and fewer barriers!

All citizens with or without disabilities were able to obtain information and listen to presentations on the topic of "Self-determined living and working". The ME/CFS Post Covid Initiative drew attention to its special situation with a demonstration in front of the town hall. For the younger ones, an inclusive play mobile invited them to play and join in. Visitors were also able to take a guided tour of two traveling exhibitions and take away interesting ideas on the topics of "Universal Design" and "Silent Hour - Inclusion through Lack of Stimulation".

"It was great that the protest day was so well received. But it also became clear that we need to take further action in Wiesbaden," said municipal inclusion officer Andrea Hausy. "Only in close dialog with those affected can we shape real participation in the sense of an inclusive urban society."

Further information about the municipal inclusion officer of the state capital Wiesbaden is available: by e-mail inklusionsbeauftragtewiesbadende telephone (0611) 315896 and on the city's homepage www.wiesbaden.de/inklusion (opens in a new tab)

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