"No Time to Lose": Interview with Karin Evers-Meyer, Federal Commissioner for the Interests of the Disabled, about a competence centre for accessibility.

In May 2002 the German Federal Disability Equality Act (BGG) which aims to provide access for handicapped people came into effect. This law says that organisations for disabled persons and companies agree on certain targets. Although this instrument could bring a lot of positive changes for handicapped people it has hardly been used during the past five years. REHACARE.de asked Karin Evers-Meyer, Federal Commissioner for the Interests of the Disabled, about the reasons and what is planned to change this.

01.04.2008

Karin Evers-Meyer © BMAS

Karin Evers-Meyer: Mrs. Evers-Meyer, target agreements define what a company can do to make its products or establishment more accessible to disabled people. However, the instrument target agreement seems to have miserably failed. Little more than ten contracts have been made in five years of the BGG. Is it the organisations’ or the companies’ fault?
REHACARE.de I think if we hadn’t created this instrument the economy would not have been part of the BGG. Companies and self-help organisations of disabled people have to realise the potential of the agreements. So I warn against badmouthing it. The question is rather how to to put it into action efficiently.

Karin Evers-Meyer: What did the organisations and companies restrain from making more target agreements?
REHACARE.de It surely is a difficult temporal, personnel and financial challenge for the associations which are often working on an honorary capacity to approach companies – since they often do not push against an open door.

Karin Evers-Meyer: In order to change this fact, you demand a national competence centre for accessibility. Which tasks would it have and who would it address?
REHACARE.de The first task of a competence centre would be to strengthen self-help organisations for developing and concluding target agreements. This means that the centre as central contact for all organisations has to network and offer juristic knowledge and information about accessible configuration of all spheres. Furthermore, the centre is to make the instrument target agreement better known and moreover answer all questions concerning accessibility. It can give advice to organisations and companies, coordinate developments of products and carry out information events. It could also confer a distinction for accessibility to point out advantages of an agreement. These include real competitive advantages and this has to be told.

Karin Evers-Meyer: Can you point out some of these advantages?
REHACARE.de This applies to all industries. And obviously in all services like tourism and transport. Those establishing barrier-free services today are tomorrow’s winners.

Karin Evers-Meyer: Who will organise such an institution?
REHACARE.de To me it is important that the centre implements the spirit of the BGG insofar that disabled people organise it or participate substantially in some way. I don’t think the centre needs a lot of staff. The know-how concerning accessibility already exists in Germany. There are experts in different organisations. The competence centre just has to connect them.

Karin Evers-Meyer: How will it be financed?
REHACARE.de This question still has to be cleared. Public authorities will surely have to support it. But I know that the organisations are ready to participate. And I think it is realistic that the economy takes part. It would be good for its businesses. This could be realised through a foundation. The centre cannot claim money of the organisations to support them making target agreements. However, I hope that after a time the centre is able to bear most of the costs by advising companies in their product development or by carrying out trainings.

Karin Evers-Meyer: When will it start its work?
REHACARE.de I think we have no time to lose. If we wait too long it would only harm the BGG and the credibility of the instrument target agreement. I can imagine that the centre, if we roll up our sleeves right now, can start its work in 2009.

Natascha Mörs

REHACARE.de