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Manuel Lankmair works at Lebenshilfe Hartberg.
Lebenshilfe Hartberg is a part of our member Lebenshilfe Austria.
Manuel Lankmair has complex support needs.
He gave a workshop at the Europe in Action conference.
Read more about the workshop (in German)
We did an interview with Manuel.
We asked him about his job
and about accessibility for people with complex support needs.
Manuel, what is your job at Lebenshilfe Austria?
I am working in advocacy with my colleagues.
Advocacy means to tell politicians
what they should do better.
I have been elected by my colleagues to speak for them.
You have a personal assistant.
Did you already have the personal assistant
before you started working?
I got a personal assistant only when I began working.
Before I got support from employees of Lebenshilfe and my family.
During your workshop, you said that you get
a lot of support from your personal assistant.
Most people with complex support needs in Austria
do not get that much support.
Why do you think you get so much support?
I get this support because I am a self-advocate.
I am often invited to conferences and seminars.
Also my family supports me a lot.
As a self-advocate, you know a lot about accessibility.
What are the most important things you can do
to make a meeting accessible
for people with complex support needs?
There are four points:
- Texts in easy-to-read
- Accessibility for wheelchair users, for example ramps
- Images in Power Point presentations and not just text
- Texts should be sent around before the conference,
so people can prepare
Have you been to any conference
that was a very good example for accessibility?
There was a meeting of the self-advocates’ council in Salzburg in Austria.
It was very accessible!
It happened in spring this year.
About 20 self-advocates
meet four times a year to discuss their issues.
This was the first time I took part in this meeting.
What needs to change so we can make events more accessible?
Organisers should speak with the people responsible for the venue.
There should be a checklist
to make sure things are accessible.
For example, having ramps so wheelchair users
can access the stage.
Register for the Hear our Voices conference in Graz in Austria!
It will be from 18 – 20 September 2019.
