Every man is as good as he is - with a disability or without

Alexander Eberle came with a water head on the world. Through the project "Empower & Engage" supports it, in the meantime, other people with intellectual disabilities.

By Nicole Graner

Alexander is brave. Very even. Because he has taken his life in Hand, and because he accepts his disability, even if there are days that are not good, pull him down and him fall in a hole. And because he talks so openly about it, he touched his listeners immediately. From the beginning of the conversation.

Not because he speaks pathetically of his fate, but with confidence and joy. Because he lives his life, which he sees so much as a gift, in fact, already have. And because he wants to do something to ensure that it stays so beautiful. "Every man is as good as he is," says Alexander. "With a disability or without." He sweeps his hands through the tousled hair, as if he was even a bit amazed at what he has said. He ponders, laughs and nods: "Yes, it is."

In the Workshops people learn to represent with a disability, the own views.

(photo: Hannes Rohrer)

Alexander Eberle came 30 years ago with a water head on the world. His Handicap, you cannot see him. "That's exactly the Problem," he says. He always had to explain what voice for him. He grows up with his grandparents. In them he finds a sense of security, he learns with his strong headache to deal, in a year-long physiotherapy and schools occupational therapy fine motor skills to hit the equilibrium fluctuations of a trick to tie shoelaces. He goes to the country school for the disabled and undertakes activities in-house economic-gastronomic area, and later in the children and the elderly.

His parents divorce when he is five and a half years old. He loves his grandparents about everything. Two and a half years of the great dying father. A very, very painful incision in Alexander's life. His grandma lives in a home, suffering from dementia. To visit them is always difficult. "I can't, and it burns in heart," he says. And he had to protect himself, because he fall in a hole and it broke. But he will not be beaten and now lives independently in a small apartment in Giesing. To 27 Square Meters.

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How he has managed to not despair, to be so self-conscious? Since the Association "Together learning to live" come into play and the project "Munich for all", which is open from September 2015 to August of this year, leisure and cultural facilities for young people with cognitive disability.

Alexander with power and helps as a volunteer to other people with a disability and is accompanied by a quarter, or, for example, a young, mentally handicapped girl to a choir rehearsal to Sendling. He learns the volunteer will appreciate and appreciate. He meets other people with other disabilities. People, such as Alexander says, had it harder than he is. "Much easier, if you change even just a little bit." And Alexander begins, his skills more to explore, to Express his opinion. Clearly.

Exactly at this point now wants to Empower the project "& Participate in" build on the experience from the "Chicago for all" in a new concept of embedding, one wants to first and foremost: competencies for participation schools. "People with disabilities," says art teacher Kilian Ihler, "have a hard time to understand yourself, to formulate your skills, your desires." Many do not know, for example, what there is for offers in the city, you withdraw.

"It creates a passivity", says social worker Eva Meyer, "the people always excludes more from everyday life." It is an endeavour to encourage people with subliminal Offered to independent, participatory Act. "It belongs," said Ihler of "Empower & Engage", to the specifications of, for example, parents or carers. To make so, the question is whether you want them to, what others will decide, really.

to develop an image of themselves

In the new project, which begins in January, there will be seminars for people with disabilities, such as, for example, in the field of education "Perceive and Know". There, the participants will learn the cultural and leisure services of the city. You go together to the Theater or a concert. And you know what Alexander Eberle is important, where it comes with a wheelchair, actually.

"Many of the venues are not easily accessible," says the 30-Year-old. "For all of the seminars we need good speakers and Coaches," says Eva Meyer. The costs. And of course the concert tickets for the participants should be not so expensive. That is, "to Empower & Engage" will financially take over the bulk of the costs for the tickets.

the aim is to encourage people with subliminal Offered to independent, participatory Act.

(photo: Hannes Rohrer)

Also in the area of "Learning and Knowledge" it needs good Coaches. Because that's where the communication is trained in a skill, the same as you represent the own opinion. It comes to the use of social media, and in the end, therefore, to be able to self-assess, to develop a picture of yourself./p>

is managed as Alexander, to know what he can do well. Singing, for example. For many years, he is a member of the Band rolling gear. The passion that ignites the music with him, can you in video recordings, he immediately feel to his movements, let him forget that he can barely stand on the left leg, and a wonderful voice. "Music helps me from many crises," he says. And so he sings at home also extra loud, no matter what the neighbors say.

"Empower & Engage" will carriers allow you to with many partners such as national College of education of the city or vendors of the cultural and educational work with people with intellectual disabilities in an ever - ongoing process, to formulate their interests, they perceive and in everyday life. As Alexander does, in the works for a year as a volunteer in the technical working group school of the disabled persons Advisory Board, Munich.

He did so part on the life he loves. Only an honest participation by people with disabilities and their ubiquitous presence made the Vision of an inclusive society reality, faith Eva Meyer and Kilian Ihler. Alexander Eberle would now say: "so it is!" He says nothing, but nods in agreement and laughs. Very happy.