Evaluation of
Thuringia’s Inclusion Act

The Thuringia Equality and Inclusion Act for people with disabilities (ThürGIG) enforces the removal of barriers and prevention of discrimination. Disability inclusion legislation at state and federal level is key to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The further development and harmonisation at federal and state level can help ensure protection against discrimination across the board.

On behalf of the Thuringia Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family, Prognos evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of the ThüGIG in the context of the CRPD obligations as well as the incurred costs of the legislation for municipalities.

Lacking knowledge and high costs hinder implementation

Our evaluation shows that people with disabilities are often not aware of the ThürGIG and as a result do not know their rights. Public authorities, for the most part, are familiar with the legislation. However, employees often lack knowledge about the specific implementation of accessibility requirements as well as how to deal with people with disabilities.

Overall, public offices and authorities perceive the implementation of ThürGIG obligations as difficult. High costs, building regulation restrictions, technical problems and lack of expertise represent the most significant hurdles. This is based on the following results:

• A lack of accessibility in public buildings: Most of the public buildings in Thuringia do not comply with accessibility requirements. Older or yet to be refurbished buildings in particular, are left lacking but even in more recent buildings, the essential elements of accessibility have been insufficiently implemented.
• Gaps in accessibility communication: The legal claim of people with disabilities to accessible communication with public authorities is not being comprehensively met. The individual requirements of the different types of disability, high costs and the limited availability of service providers for sign language or easy language only further complicate implementation. 
• Efficient structures with room for improvement: The existing structures of the State Commissioner and the State Advisory Board for people with disabilities are basically efficient and appropriate. The stakeholders could, however, work more closely with state authorities. 
• Lack of resources for municipal representatives: The legal anchoring of municipal representatives for people with disabilities in the ThürGIG makes sense in order to enable the comprehensive implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, they often lack the necessary resources. 
• Lack of information on the costs for municipalities: The financial consequences of the ThürGIG for municipalities remain unclear. The survey we conducted left us unable to conclude reliable data due to the fact that municipalities do not systematically record the costs incurred in connection with the implementation of the legislation. 

Based on these findings, recommendations are being developed for the more effective implementation of the human rights-based requirements of the UN CRPD in Thuringia.

Our approach

The project team combined qualitative and quantitative elements of empirical social research and law. At the centre was a series of interviews with the most important actors in disability policy in the Free State. In addition, authorities and people with disabilities were interviewed in order to gain insights into the implementation of the ThürGIG from various perspectives.

Links and downloads 

To the study (PDF in German, Ministry website)

Reference project: Municipal costs through the Lower Saxony Disability Equal Opportunities Act reform

Project team: Nina Altmann, Patrick Frankenbach, Andreas Heimer, Rahel Reemtsma, Sara Strätgen, Ulrich Weuthen 

Latest update: 26/09/2024