External advisory services

Nothing about us without us! Center for Self-Determined Living with Disabilities (Zentrum für selbstbestimmtes Leben Behinderter e.V.)

The Center for Self-Determined Living with Disabilities (Zentrum für selbstbestimmtes Leben Behinderter e.V., or ZSL for short) was established as a charity for the self-representation of disabled people according to the motto “Nothing about us without us!” Their aim is to enable disabled people to participate fully in society and at work, on an equal footing as those without disabilities. The association aims to provide people requiring assistance with advice and personal support. Advice is also provided to family members and employers or teachers.  That apart, the association is also involved in political educational measures and PR work.

Find out more about the ZSL: advice, education, a place to meet

ZSL e.V. – Advice. Education. A place to meet_

Flyer Advice. Education. A place to meet. – ZSL e.V_

If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch:

Luitpoldstraße 38

91052 Erlangen

Phone: + 49 9131 20 50 22

E-mail: briefkasten@zsl-erlangen.de

myAbility Talent® Program

myAbility is a certified social enterprise that is active across the whole German-speaking (DACH) region and is dedicated to diversity, equality of opportunity and accessibility at the workplace. Open and trusting interactions between companies and organizations on the one hand and skilled personnel and young talent with disabilities, chronic illnesses or a neurodivergent background on the other are an important element of their commitment to the cause. As well as a career newsletter and the inclusive job platform www.myAbility.jobs – the largest of its kind in the DACH region –, myAbility also offers the career program myAbility Talent® Program for students, graduates and experienced academics in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

For a duration of at the most six months, participants benefit from comprehensive virtual career and application coaching sessions, workshops and varied opportunities for networking with reputable companies which would like to meet skilled professionals and young talent in person and are committed to creating accessible working conditions.  All the above-mentioned services are available to the general public.

The myAbility Talent® program is run in all three countries in the spring and each round of the program is open to anyone from any of the countries. In Germany, the career program starts each year at the end of January, followed by a second round as of May. Applications can be submitted from October of the previous year. No participation fees are charged, but participants are expected to be willing to travel to the networking sessions. Further information on the program and the application form are available at www.myAbilityTalent.org. The Talent Team is happy to answer any questions at hello.talent@myAbility.org.

For employees and employers – Inclusion at work with ACCESS

Disabilities do not necessarily have to have a major effect on life at work. A lot of disabled people are able to work without any problems on the “general labor market”. Some of them need small adjustments to be made to requirements to enable them to work efficiently. This is where Access can help and facilitate inclusion.

Access therefore also provides advice and ongoing assistance to companies when it comes to the inclusion of people with disabilities at work. They are involved in what are known as “job trials”. A job trial gives employers and employees the chance to get to know each other, and to get used to each other’s way of working, with Access on hand for advice and support.

Advice is given before, during and after this “internship” to explore which measures ought to be taken to achieve the optimal work environment for all parties.

The services are not exclusively available to people who have already completed an apprenticeship or have gathered work experience. School students can also contact Access and discuss plans for entering the employment market.

Consult the website for more information and details of services available: https://access-inklusion.de/

Studying on the autism spectrum? – The project IBERA run by the specialist integration services Middle Franconia (Integrationsfachdienst Mittelfranken)

Integrationsfachdienst Mittelfranken (IFD) gGmbH provides advice to various groups of people on the topic of “participation in the labor market”. These people include:

• • Relatives of disabled people
  • Work colleagues
  • Teachers
  • Doctors
  • State carers
  • Specialists from the social network
  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Industrie- und Handelskammern (IHK))
  • Chamber of Trades (Handwerkskammern (HWK))
  • Professional organizations

People with disabilities are also provided with support when looking for a job, settling in to a job and during professional orientation phases. The IFD offers special services tailored to meet the needs of young school leavers qualified to start university studies (IBERA):

Individual integration advice for people with an autism spectrum disorder.