Inclusion / Representative for people with disabilities

Goal and mission

The Commissioner for People with Disabilities is committed to ensuring that all people in Jena can participate equally in life in the city, regardless of their type or degree of disability.
The aim is to create an inclusive Jena in which barriers are removed, participation is enabled and the rights of people with disabilities are strengthened.

The commissioner represents the interests of people with disabilities vis-à-vis the city administration, politicians and the public. She works closely with the Advisory Council for People with Disabilities, specialist agencies, associations, social service providers and citizens.

Central tasks

1. advice and support

The representative advises citizens with disabilities, relatives, initiatives and institutions on issues of participation, accessibility and inclusion.
She is the contact person for concerns, problems or suggestions for improvement and helps to find the right contacts within the city administration or other bodies.

2 Participation in planning and decision-making

The representative ensures that the needs of people with disabilities are taken into account in all city planning and projects, for example in the areas of construction, transportation, education, culture and leisure .
She provides expert assessments, makes recommendations and contributes to concepts, projects and draft resolutions.

3. removal of barriers

A central goal is to identify and remove barriers - whether in public spaces, buildings, digital services or administrative procedures.
To this end, the commissioner works together with specialist offices, architects, transport planners, IT departments and other stakeholders.

4. promotion of participation and awareness-raising

Inclusion means more than just accessibility. The Commissioner initiates and supports projects that promote encounters, participation and self-determination.
She is involved in public relations work to draw attention to the living conditions of people with disabilities and to raise awareness of inclusion, for example through events, publications or participation formats.

5. cooperation and networking

The Commissioner works closely with the Advisory Board for People with Disabilities. The advisory board is an important body that collects concerns, supports measures and makes recommendations to the administration and politicians.
In addition, there are close contacts with associations, self-help groups, social organizations and facilities for the disabled.
Together, strategies and projects are developed for an inclusive community in Jena.

Advisory board for people with disabilities

The Advisory Board is an independent, non-denominational and non-partisan representation of the interests of people with disabilities in the city of Jena. Its tasks include the implementation of the "Inclusive Jena" action plan.

Social Committee

The Social Committee of the City of Jena is a political body that deals with social issues and topics relating to living together in Jena. The Social Committee advises and decides on social issues, the budget and the allocation of funds. It acts as a network between politics, administration and citizens. It also monitors and supervises existing social measures and checks their effectiveness.

Youth Welfare Committee

The Youth Welfare Committee (JHA) in Jena is a municipal body with important steering, decision-making and advisory functions in the area of child and youth welfare. It is part of the youth welfare office and works closely with the youth administration. Its tasks include discussing current problems faced by young people and their families, making suggestions and proposals for the further development of youth welfare and youth welfare planning in general. Furthermore, the Youth Welfare Committee advises the City Council on resolutions relating to youth welfare issues.

Advisory Council for People with Disabilities

The Advisory Council for People with Disabilities of the City of Jena is an independent, non-denominational and non-partisan representation of the interests of people with disabilities in the City of Jena. It represents the interests of people with disabilities living in Jena and advises them on fundamental issues relating to assistance for people with disabilities. It is involved in an advisory capacity in general regulations and measures that affect the living situation of people with disabilities and their equality in Thuringia.

With reference to the Thuringian Act on Equality and Improvement of the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (ThürGIG) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) as a binding basis under international law, the Advisory Board is committed to the purpose of Article 1 of the UN CRPD "to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity". Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others."

Topics covered by the advisory board include

• Accessibility
• Equal opportunities
• Inclusive living
• self-determination
• Representation of interests
• Participation
• Design of traffic areas
• Jena for all
• mobility
• Action plan of the city of Jena

Tasks of the advisory board:

• Updating the action plan for the implementation of the UN CRPD in Jena and monitoring its implementation
• Contact for people with disabilities in the city of Jena and representation of the interests of all groups of people with disabilities
• Promoting the exchange of experience and cooperation between the various organizations in Jena in the interests of greater self-determination and equal participation in society
• Advising the city administration and the city council on all issues affecting people with disabilities by means of suggestions, inquiries, recommendations and statements
• Preparing an advisory opinion on projects of importance to people with disabilities in specific individual cases
• Providing advisory support in the preparation of reports on the situation of people with disabilities
• Implementation of measures to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities in the city of Jena
• Advice on planning and preparation of opinions on approval planning for the purpose of barrier-free design of publicly accessible buildings and other facilities, means of transportation and spaces, technical commodities, information processing systems, acoustic and visual information sources and communication facilities and other areas of life.

Working groups of the advisory board

• WG 1 - Barrier-free Jena, housing and traffic safety
• WG 2 - Sport, culture, social affairs
• WG 3 - Education and work
• WG Public Relations

Contact details

The Advisory Board for People with Disabilities can be contactedvia the e-mail address bmb@jena.de or the office of the representative for people with disabilities.

Meeting dates

The meetings of the Advisory Board for People with Disabilities are open to the public and the dates can be found under the following link SessionNet | Advisory Board for People with Disabilities of the City of Jena - Dates 2026

Inclusive Jena" action plan - update 2025

The "Inclusive Jena - Update 2025" action plan aims to further strengthen the equal participation of people with disabilities in Jena. It is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Thuringian Law on Inclusion and Equality.

The original action plan from 2017 was evaluated in 2024 and updated with broad participation. Under the guiding principle "Nothing about us without us", people with disabilities, experts and administrators were involved in focus groups, participation forums and specialist working groups. The results were translated into concrete measures.

Structure of the action plan

The action plan is divided into several fields of action that cover key areas of life:

• Building, housing and mobility
• Education and training
• Health and care
• Work and employment
• Culture, leisure and sport
• and cross-field measures

Strategic goals, specific measures, responsibilities and time frames have been defined for each area of action. Implementation is divided into short-term, medium-term and long-term steps.

Central objective

The overarching goal of the action plan is to

• to consistently remove barriers,
• to enable self-determined living,
• expand inclusive services and
• systematically incorporating the needs of people with disabilities into planning processes.

Particular attention is paid to barrier-free administration, inclusive education, accessible healthcare, an inclusive labor market and participation in cultural and social life.

With the 2025 update, the city of Jena is creating an updated strategic basis to further promote inclusion locally and sustainably improve the quality of life of people with disabilities.

An overarching focus is on inclusive and accessible administration. This includes comprehensible information, barrier-free digital services and alternative ways of accessing municipal services. The aim is for all citizens to be able to exercise their rights independently.

Focal points:

• Barrier-free appointments with authorities.
• Use of plain language in documents.
• Accessible city website.
• Training to raise awareness among employees.
• Equal participation in political life.

The consistent improvement of accessibility in public spaces is the focus of the building, housing and mobility field of action. Plans include barrier-free transport routes, easy-to-use stops, comprehensible passenger information and the expansion of inclusive housing options. People with disabilities should be able to move around and live in the city safely and as independently as possible.

Focal points:

• Involvement of the advisory board for people with disabilities in construction projects.
• Barrier-free design of streets, footpaths, bus stops and traffic lights.
• Conversion to acoustic signals, separation of cycle paths and footpaths.
• Barrier-free access to public transport, including legible displays and loudspeaker announcements.
• Promotion of inclusive housing projects and housing advice.

The education and training field of action pursues the goal of strengthening inclusive educational pathways from early childhood through to the transition to work. This includes barrier-free school locations, better information for parents, training for educational professionals and measures to support the transition from school to training and work.

Focal points:

• Overview of accessible schools.
• Consideration of individual support needs when choosing a school.
• Expansion of advice and support services for parents.
• Qualification of educational professionals (further training on disability/illness).
• Strengthening transitions (e.g. nursery-primary school, school-to-work).
• Projects such as "Inclusion at school" and internships for young people with disabilities.

In the area of health and care, the main focus is on equal access to medical care. Plans include a better overview of accessible doctors' surgeries, information on support services and awareness-raising and training opportunities for medical staff. The advisory structures for those affected and their relatives are also to be further strengthened.

Focal points:

• Creation of a guide to health and care services.
• Survey on the accessibility of medical practices.
• Training for medical staff to raise awareness.
• Expansion of advice centers (care support point, housing advice).
• Promotion of projects such as "Toilets for all".
• Information on support services for new residents.

The work and employment field of action aims to improve the participation of people with disabilities in the labor market. The city is focusing in particular on raising awareness among companies, expanding advisory services and promoting internships, training measures and inclusive employment opportunities.

Focal points:

• Cooperation with JenaWirtschaft to promote inclusive jobs.
• Sensitizing companies to the topic of inclusion.
• Advice on funding opportunities (e.g. integration assistance, assistance).
• Maintaining and expanding workshops as a transitional structure.
• Promotion of internships, qualification measures and career guidance.

In the area of culture, leisure and sport, the focus is on equal participation in social life. Cultural facilities, events and sports activities are to be made less accessible and more inclusive. At the same time, clubs and facilities are to be made more aware of the needs of people with disabilities.

Focal points:

• Barrier-free access to events, museums and libraries.
• Development of inclusive event formats.
• Involvement of people with disabilities in planning and implementation.
• Promotion of sports activities tailored to the target group.
• Cooperation with clubs and associations to promote inclusive offers.