Persons with disabilities in Germany since 1945. Self-determination and participation in East and West Germany: A contribution to Disability History.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Gabriele Lingelbach
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 210109247

The overall project examines interdependencies between social practices and images referring to people with disabilities, as well as their strategies to influence political regulations and societal attributions. Using a comparative approach, the possibilities and limitations of self-determination and participation in contrast with the social construction of disabilities in the FRG and the GDR from 1945 to the early 1990s is researched. In contrast to earlier works, the project includes the perspectives of persons concerned. Subproject 3 - the object of this application for extension - assesses aspects of the working environment for people with disabilities. Against the backdrop of sociopolitical regulations and persistent stereotypes, it analyzes how people with disabilities influenced their working conditions, the occupational rehabilitation measures, as well as the collaborations and conflicts existing between the different protagonists.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants