Menu

Photo: A young woman, with red hair and red lipstick – Antonia Feistenauer – in front of an snowy background; Copyright: my_own.little_world

my_own.little.world

Antonia Feistenauer – That's how she rolls

06/10/2021

When you are disabled and/or chronically ill, self-acceptance is an important step in dealing with yourself and your disability – or in Antonia Feistenauer's case, her disabilities and diseases. What or who helps her in everyday life, what – on the other hand – would help society in dealing with disabilities, she told REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a man getting lifted in a huge wheel loader, his wheelchair is standing ob the ground; Copyright: PARAVAN GmbH

PARAVAN GmbH

Promoting career self-determination with adaptive utility work machines

28/09/2021

Mobility is a key ability to live a self-determined life. It pertains to both the private and the professional realm: Agriculture, logistics, public service – none of them are possible without automobility. But who converts commercial vehicles to make them accessible for people with disabilities? And who pays for the costs? REHACARE.com looked into the matter.
Read more
Photo: a young man with glasses sits in a wheelchair on a hill at dusk, a river and the illuminated river bank can be seen in the background - Tobi Kroll; Copyright: Tobi Kroll

Tobias Kroll

Tobi Kroll – That's how he rolls

16/06/2021

How can we arrive in an inclusive world? Tobi Kroll has a few suggestions, because he is always thinking about barriers – both structural and social. But he also has some ideas about how society can accommodate people with disabilities. Who he would like to discuss our society with and how he otherwise rolls, he tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a woman wearing a trikot and a helmet sitting in a wheelchair on a basketball field, she is holding a basketball – Ronja Holze; Copyright: Drazen Lovric

Drazen Lovric

Ronja Holze – That's how she rolls

02/06/2021

Sport has a special significance in Ronja Holzes life: First it helped her to accept her new life situation, then she fought her way up to the world championship and into the national squad in just a few years. Which sports she is talking about here, which auxiliary mean is particularly important for her life as an athlete and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a woman with light grey hair, glasses and a green t-shirt is sinnting in a wheelchair in front of a building, on her legs she carries a ramp made of tiny bricks; Copyright: Lego-Oma-Team

Lego-Oma-Team

Rita Ebel – That's how she rolls

19/05/2021

Rita Ebel has become known as the "Lego granny": Since accessibility is still a scarce commodity, she designs ramps made of interlocking plastic bricks. Boxes of the colourful bricks are stored in her house and are transformed into ramps with creative patterns. Why she herself is dependent on accessibility, why she never loses her smile and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a woman with brown hair and glasses is on the left side of the picture, in the background is the sea – Anne Schütz; Copyright: Holger Schütz

Holger Schütz

Anne Schütz – That's how she rolls

05/05/2021

Anne Schütz already learned in primary school that no distinction should be made between people with or without disabilities. So it's no surprise that she would like to meet the namesake of her primary school. Who that is, which device means independence for her and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a young woman – Lily Rice – is wearing a helmet and doing a stunt in a pink wheelchair; Copyright: Steven Clarey

Steven Clarey

Lily Rice – That's how she rolls

10/02/2021

Lily Rice can usually be found at the skatepark, refining her WCMX techniques in her pink wheelchair. The training is paying off: Lily entered the scene in 2017, two years later she was Women's World Champion. It was only logical that her biggest challenge to date was in the halfpipe – what it was, who motivates her and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a woman in white jeans and black top – Evelyn Brezina – is sitting in a wheelchair which is placed in front of multi-coloured stairs; Copyright: Lucia Titkova

Lucia Titkova

Evelyn Brezina – That's how she rolls

13/01/2021

Vienna from a wheelchair perspective – this is how Evelyn Brezina captures all the beauty in her surroundings in her photos. Because she really loves taking pictures. What assistive devices she would like to have for this passion, who she would like to ask as many questions as possible and how she otherwise rolls, she tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: a bald man with a beard in standting in a sports stadium. He wears a black shirt that says

Kim Cremer

Kim Cremer – That's how he rolls

16/12/2020

Kim Cremer is a doer, he doesn't let anything stop him. And even though he doesn't need a wheelchair himself, he sees where society still has a lot to catch up when it comes to accessibility – both in everyday life and in people's minds. Who has always encouraged him in his doer mentality, how this mentality fits in with his big dream and and how he otherwise rolls, he tells us on REHACARE.com.
Read more
Photo: Prototype of the sensor for a cane; Copyright: Zahout-Heil

Zahout-Heil

SmAccLab: Smart auxiliary means for everyone

28/05/2019

Accessible and realistic – that’s how auxiliary aids should be in the eyes of Professor Carsten Zahout. Students at the Smart Accessibility Laboratory (SmAccLab) are working on technical solutions that fulfill these requirements and lead to increased participation for people with disabilities. REHACARE.com found out how product engineering and inclusion join forces.
Read more
Photo: Andreas Hettwer (left) and Max Prigge; Copyright: Carina Hettwer

Carina Hettwer

Self-determined living: careunities creates flat sharing for people with physical disabilities

24/01/2019

For many people, living in a shared accommodation is a matter of course. But how well does this work if you have a physical disability and require assistance? This is where careunities comes in. The online platform matches people up with future roommates and also plans to retrofit buildings for accessibility, thus creating more shared living spaces.
Read more
Photo: A woman in a beach wheelchair; Copyright: Timo Hermann | Gesellschaftsbilder.de

Timo Hermann | Gesellschaftsbilder.de

Tourism for All: "Traveling is not just about physical access"

19/07/2018

Tourism is for everybody. The aim of the British organisation Tourism for All is to make travel accessible. Whether travelers, policy makers or companies, Tourism for All wants to operate with and for everyone. REHACARE.com asked, how the attitude of companies and politicians towards people with disabilities has changed and what the European tourism market has to offer.
Read more
Photo: Speaker at the conference during the M-Enabling Summit 2017 in Washington; Copyright: M-Enabling Summit

M-Enabling Summit

M-Enabling Forum: "The best assistive technologies cannot be useful if our digital environment is not accessible"

21/06/2018

Self-determined living needs accessibility. This does not only apply to step-free entrance for wheelchair users, but also for the digital environment. For example, when blind people surf the internet with a screen reader, they need web sites that are accessible. But reality often looks different. Reason enough for the M-Enabling Forum to focus on this topic at this year's REHACARE.
Read more
Photo: An accessible bus for the transport of people with disabilities. The hydraulic ramp is on the ground; Copyright: panthermedia.net/Valeriy_Al

panthermedia.net/Valeriy_Al

TTC Wheel-Trans: Accessible transport for people with disabilities in Toronto

17/05/2018

In Canada, the North Americans are far ahead of us Germans when it comes to accessibility. If you are a guest in Toronto, you not only have the possibility to travel with the usual public transport, but you can also opt for the 100 percent accessible alternative and use Wheel-Trans.
Read more
Photo: Stefanie Trzecinski; Copyright: Johannes Franke

Johannes Franke

"At the TUECHTIG coworking space, people with and without disabilities are working together – and not just next to each other"

22/03/2018

Maximum flexibility to encourage ideas, effectively sharing office space: coworking spaces have become a part of many major cities. In 2017, Berlin featured about one hundred of them, but none of them were comprehensively accessible. That’s something Stefanie Trzecinski from KOPF, HAND + FUSS gGmbH wanted to change. That was the moment, the idea for "TUECHTIG – Raum für Inklusion" was born.
Read more
Photo: Martina Gollner (left) and Christina Rieder, the founders of FullAccess; Copyright: FullAccess

FullAccess

"At FullAccess, the 'Accessibility All Areas' slogan says it all"

15/02/2018

Two music enthusiasts were fed up with the lack of leisure activity choices and programs for people with disabilities. That’s why Christina Riedler and Martina Gollner decided to set up their own business with FullAccess and try to make concert promoters aware of people with disabilities as prospective customers and thus contribute to making society more tolerant.
Read more
Photo: Blind Man touches the plug-in model of the Porta Nigra; Copyright: Ledwig

Ledwig

Self-guided museum visits for visually impaired people

18/01/2018

Visually impaired and blind people can now enjoy stunning visits to the City Museum Trier thanks to audio tracks, tactile reproductions, and replicas. Together with students who participated in the "Cross Media" seminar as part of their studies at the University of Trier, Design Professor Christopher Ledwig developed a one-of-a-kind multimedia service in Germany: the so-called "blind kit" trolley.
Read more
Photo: Florian Adler; Copyright: Tim de Gruisbourne

Tim de Gruisbourne

"Inclusive communication design is both accessible and attractive"

15/06/2017

For many, recognizing and understanding characters is an important prerequisite to social participation. Inclusive communication design helps people with visual impairments to accomplish this. REHACARE.com spoke with designer and expert of the German Association for Blind and Visually Impaired People, Florian Adler. He has developed a digital guide to inclusive communication design.
Read more
Photo: Hauke Hückstädt; Copyright: Bookster Frankfurt Stephan Jockel

Bookster Frankfurt Stephan Jockel

"Hardly any texts by famous authors are specifically written in Simple Language"

20/04/2017

Literature should be accessible to all – including people who depend on texts written in Simple English. A project in Frankfurt, Germany, now wants to make this possible. REHACARE.com spoke with Hauke Hückstädt, the director of the Literaturhaus Frankfurt about the "Frankfurt, deine Geschichte. Literatur in Einfacher Sprache" project.
Read more
Photo: Sandra Glöckler; Copyright: Rolli auf Trab

Rolli auf Trab

"Horse riding is a sport people with and without impairments are able to experience together on equal footing"

20/04/2017

More self-confidence and independence – things you can learn from horse riding for example. People with disabilities can take this important step with "Rolli auf Trab" (English: Trotting with Wheelchairs). REHACARE.com spoke with Sandra Glöckler of "Rolli auf Trab" about the lust for life that horse riding inspires and the interaction and experiences with the animals.
Read more
Photo: Hands on a book printed in Braille; Copyright: panthermedia.net/belchonock

panthermedia.net/belchonock

Books for the blind: "IT corporations lead the way. They consider accessibility a selling point"

16/02/2017

A wizarding student who triumphs over evil. A girl who meets the love of her life. Literature has many facets and captivates us with wonderful stories day in and day out. Yet not everyone has access to these texts because accessible books for blind or visually impaired people are few and far between.
Read more
Photo: Patrick Dohmen in the LernLaden; Copyright: WDR/EUKOBA

WDR/EUKOBA

Accessibility: "We need a shift in awareness in the retail sector"

22/12/2016

Shopping with a disability is no easy feat: almost every store is not accessible. But what does accessibility in retail actually mean? REHACARE.com spoke with Patrick Dohmen of the EUKOBA Association about the idea behind the LernLaden (English: Learning Store) and the awareness and sensitization project for retailers, employees and apprentices.
Read more
Photo: Martin Habacher; Copyright: Andreas Pöschek

Andreas Pöschek

Inclusive storyteller: "You can definitely make a difference and change things"

24/11/2016

There are some unique and interesting stories about accessibility and disability. Martin Habacher is someone who tells these stories. His goal is to find and then share them with the world on his YouTube channel. REHACARE.com spoke with Martin Habacher about his most beautiful story and his motivation to look beyond what he sees.
Read more
Photo: map of Germany

Lutum+Tappert

Accessibility should be considered from the start for medical practices

28/04/2016

Disabled parking spaces, lower counters, stair lifts, and elevators – those are just a few of the provisions of an accessible medical practice. Yet many physician offices don’t meet these requirements. To make it easier for people with disabilities to find available accessible medical practices close-by, the "Accessible Practice" project has created a directory.
Read more
Photo: Simon Janatzek talks about accessible smartphones

beta-web/Günther

If you buy them, some smartphones are already accessible

14/04/2016

A quick check on your smartphone to see when the next bus leaves or letting your friend know via WhatsApp that you are running late: those are mundane situations for many people. Yet how accessible are smartphones actually for visually impaired and blind people? REHACARE.com spoke with Simon Janatzek. He is visually impaired and tells us which apps are helpful in everyday life.
Read more
Photo: Anna Hartmann

bff/Jörg Farys

"Suse" helps abused and battered women and girls with disabilities

23/02/2016

Representative studies show: women and girls with disabilities face significantly more violence than women without disabilities. Yet they rarely seek help since their disability often makes access to therespective support systems difficult. The "Suse" Project offers affected persons accessible support services, for instance in the form of Easy English.
Read more
Photo: meeting in the PIKSL Lab

PIKSL

"PIKSL focuses on the removal of digital barriers"

26/01/2016

Digital transformation does not only cause problems for persons with disabilities. Companies are also facing digital barriers they need to overcome. The PIKSL Lab makes digital inclusion its priority: together, individuals with and without disabilities work on removing digital barriers. In this interview with REHACARE.de, Project Manager Tobias Marczinzik explains the PIKSL concept.
Read more
Photo: Hedwig Reiffs with a visitor and a wheelchair driver

"Comprehensive accessibility would benefit all of us"

12/02/2015

What is it like when you have to manage everyday life in a wheelchair? And what effects do age-related limitations have on mobility? Interested parties can experience this with the help of a wheelchair course and an age simulation suit. REHACARE.com spoke with Hedwig Reiffs from the Self-Help Organization of Physically Disabled Persons Bonn, who recently attended this kind of adventure day.
Read more