Styrian affected

“Inclusion is still in its infancy”

Heinz Sailer has been in a wheelchair since he was 17.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

Styrian Heinz Sailer (59) is paraplegic. His résumé as the long-standing chairman of the Styrian Disability Committee is mixed. Above all, love saved him.

"My mother's love saved me," says Heinz Sailer, thinking back to 1983. The then 17-year-old was sitting in the back seat of a car on April 1 when a serious accident occurred: Two cervical vertebrae broke, and the Styrian has been in a wheelchair ever since.

However, it wasn't so much the accident that was traumatic, but rather what happened afterwards: "I wanted to become a professional firefighter - I could tick that off. So I did an apprenticeship as an office administrator. But I didn't have a chance on the job market," he says.

One of the many hurdles that still separates those affected from a self-determined life: "You have to be happy if you get a response to an application at all.

I used to be 'the disabled person', now I'm a 'person with a disability' - at least.

Heinz Sailer

Progress in mobility in cities
In 2008, Austria committed itself to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (and thus to inclusion measures). Sailer chaired the monitoring committee of the province of Styria for five years. His summary: "We are well positioned in Styria when it comes to personal assistance, for example, and Styria was also a pioneer in the Disability Act. Mobility is good in Graz today, but the situation in the regions is still very different."

The will is often there, but there is a lack of implementation: "It has already happened to me that a hotel room was designed to be accessible, but I couldn't fit through the door with my wheelchair. Or that the toilet in the restaurant was barrier-free, but I couldn't get past the sink."

Sailer is not affiliated with any political party, but has recently been supporting and advising the Styrian Communist Party with his expertise. "Because it is the only party that is tangible for the little person and shows a genuine interest in inclusion. Because true inclusion is still in its infancy." How is he doing today? "Good. I am lucky enough to experience love through my wife."