New offer: Bocholt strengthens inclusion and participation of people with disabilities

The city of Bocholt presents a new, comprehensive range of information for people with disabilities and their relatives. The new Bocholt.de subpage and the establishment of a local participation group are important steps on the way to a more inclusive city.

"Participation and inclusion are central concerns of our city", emphasises Björn Volmering, First City Councillor and Head of Social Affairs. "With the new online offering and the Local Participation Circle, we are creating more transparency, accessibility and, above all, direct participation opportunities for people with disabilities in Bocholt."

Comprehensive range of information online

The new website www.bocholt.de/teilhabe brings together information on counselling, support and housing services, leisure activities, self-help groups and much more. An interactive map "Bocholt.Maps" is also useful, showing barrier-free toilets, bus stops and playgrounds in addition to the information on offer.

Inventory of accessibility in Bocholt

In order to further improve accessibility in Bocholt, the Committee for Labour, Health, Equality and Social Affairs decided at its most recent meeting to draw up a detailed overview of all publicly accessible buildings. Volunteers will record the accessibility of facilities such as schools, doctors' surgeries, restaurants, etc. and enter the data into the city of Bocholt's online portal, which continues to grow. Interested parties can now register with the volunteer agency.

Local participation circle for more co-determination

The social committee was also unanimously in favour of establishing a local participation circle. This committee made up of people with disabilities, representatives of social organisations and the city administration is intended to systematically incorporate the needs of people with disabilities into urban planning and administrative processes.

"This model is based on successful examples such as that in the municipality of Reken, where there is close cooperation between the administration, social organisations and those affected. The participation circle is intended to act as a mouthpiece and promote inclusion in all areas of urban life", explains Christian Tewiele from the Department of Social Affairs. In the near future, potential participants in the new committee will be contacted and an initial meeting planned.

A total of around 70,000 people with a disability live in the Borken district, around 35,000 of whom have a severely disabled person's pass. This means that approximately one fifth (7,000) of these people live in Bocholt.