ing the responsibility of disabled persons for their own concerns and care. The Severely Disabled Persons Act is to be revised to reflect these points.

The Federation of German Employer Associations and the German government are against the draft of a "Council directive on the establishment of a general framework for realising equal treatment in employment and occupations" presented by the European Commission in the Treaty of Amsterdam. They fear is that if a general anti-discrimination policy similar to that of the USA becomes part of the European social model, protection of the principle of equality in German employment and social law would be limited, and that would impact persons with disabilities.

There are differences of opinion regarding the disabled persons fee which companies can pay when they do not hire the proportion of severely disabled persons mandated by law. The Federation of German Employer Associations pleads: "for a lowering of the currently excessive mandatory employment quota from 6 to 5 % and for deletion of the 5-day additional holiday for the severely disabled, which is no longer necessary in view of the tariff-related and statutory holiday entitlement of around 6 or 4 weeks."² The German Trades Union Confederation, however, calls for better use and increased effectiveness of legal instruments to enforce the duty of employers to hire disabled persons.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

 

In recent decades, self-help groups and organisations of and for disabled persons have made an essential contribution to social policy and have provided individualised and flexible help and support. In addition, NGOs are responsible for large areas of state-financed professional rehabilitation.

The following is a list of organisations for people with disabilities. It does not claim to be comprehensive:

Aktion Grundgesetz : Kampagne für ein Diskriminierungsverbot

Aktion Mensch

Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWo), Bonn

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Behinderte in den Medien (ABM) e.V.

Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft "Hilfe für Behinderte" (BAGH)

Club Behinderter und ihrer Freunde (CeBeeF) Frankfurt

Deutscher Behindertenrat (DBR)

Deutscher paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband e.V. (DPWV)

Deutsche Vereinigung für die Rehabilitation Behinderter e.V. (DVfR)

Experten helfen Behinderten (EHB)

Forum Selbstbestimmter Assistenz behinderter Menschen e.V.

Interessengemeinschaft "Selbstbestimmt Leben" (ISL)

Kooperationsverbund BBW/BFW : Aus- und Weiterbildung für Behinderte

Zentrum für selbstbestimmtes Leben behinderter Menschen Mainz e.V. (ZSL)

Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe für Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung (BVLH)