Consulting and support

Depending on the type of company and the number of employees with severe disabilities, there are various company interest groups that are set up by the company or elected by the employees, and are either mandatory or voluntary. These include the representative of severely disabled persons (SBV), the works council, staff council or church employee representative, the youth and trainee representative and the employer's inclusion officer.

Company doctors advise on occupational safety and accident prevention and are appointed depending on the risks, size and organization of a company. They must be specialists in occupational medicine or doctors with the additional designation "occupational medicine". According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, company doctors work closely with occupational safety specialists and other company stakeholders in occupational health and safety.

The Technical Advisory Service (TBD), also known as the Technical Service or Engineering Service, of the integration offices/inclusion services and the employment agencies advises and supports in the needs-based and barrier-free design of the workplace, the work place and the home. The engineers offer on-site workplace inspections and also business management advice. The service is free of charge.

The nationwide EUTBs offer free planning, orientation and decision-making assistance for people with disabilities, people at risk of disability and their relatives when applying for participation benefits. Particular attention is given to the principle of peer counseling, in which those affected advise those affected.

On behalf of the integration offices/inclusion offices and rehabilitation providers, integration specialist services (IFD) advise and support people with disabilities in their search for training or employment and provide support in conflicts in order to secure the job in the long term. Some IFDs have specialized in visual and hearing impairments and can advise on disability-compensating technology such as conference technology for the hearing impaired. Some IFDs may have aids available for testing.

In some vocational training centers, aids can be tested before purchase, such as technologies for people with visual impairments. Individual advice on aids is also occasionally provided.

• Vocational training centers (BBW) are vocational rehabilitation facilities in which young people with disabilities can complete initial vocational training or vocational preparation. In addition, measures are offered to test and promote training readiness or vocational readiness.
• Vocational support centers (BFW) are inter-company facilities for the vocational reintegration of adults with disabilities. Further training or retraining can be completed.)

Job coaching at the workplace promotes the integration of people with disabilities and special support needs into the workplace. During the time-limited process, for example, work processes and new work techniques are trained or the use of special aids is developed and tested. The external specialists can be financed by all rehabilitation providers and, if there is a recognized severe disability, also by the integration offices/inclusion offices.

Occupational therapy is an important treatment method in the rehabilitation of people with physical or cognitive impairments, for example after an accident or stroke. Its aim is to promote independence in everyday life and reintegration into working life. Occupational therapists work in rehabilitation clinics, practices or social institutions, among other places, and bring extensive specialist knowledge in the use of aids and their care.

Assistive products advice centers help you choose a suitable aid and sometimes test the quality. There are also special advice centers for hearing and visually impaired people.

Manufacturers and distributors of assistive products as well as vehicle conversion companies can answer technical and application-related questions about products and special vehicle adaptations and may provide tips on financing.