Project background:

The ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) emphasises the societal duty of supporting persons with impairments so that they can lead a life that is as self-determined as possible, while enjoying the same rights as all people. Two central aspects in this process are participation in society and involvement in the transformation processes leading towards more equal opportunities as well as the customised redesigning of living environments (social and community space orientation).

These perspectives have been integrated into the „Index for participation development and quality of life of persons with disabilities” (TeLe-Index) pilot project and strategies are being currently developed and tested in order to move from a traditionally complex institutional setting to a new kind of disability support. The prerequisite for these strategies is a fundamentally differentiated understanding of impairment and disability as it is analysed in the Federal Government’s Participation Report of 2013 on the situation of persons with disabilities in Germany, on the basis of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Aims:

The higher aim of the pilot project is the implementation of the intentions and objectives championed in the UN-CRPD, especially those pertaining to the design and safeguarding of participation for persons with disabilities.

With the transformation project of the Franziskuswerk Schönbrunn, based upon their Vision 2030, the following targets are being pursued:

• participation of users and advocacy groups in the development of services
• person-centredness of services
• development of diverse services in order to provide genuine alternatives 
• sustainability in the use of resources and in the consolidation of the rights of persons with disabilities in society

Through our supportive academic research, we aim to test the vision and conception as well as analyse the effects of the transformation processes – including all levels: from the user to the resource through the structure.

Furthermore, we will draw upon current knowledge on participation development and quality of life assessment and associated processes. We will also develop customised processes in order to measure and evaluate participation in future (TeLe-Index). We thereby hope to generate guidelines for further transformation processes with the aim of improving overall participation for persons with disabilities.

Links: “Auf dem Weg zur Vision 2030“ project