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- The situation of disabled people in Germany<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How organizations & volunteers support people with disabilities<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What you should look out for when volunteering with disabled people<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Find your volunteer position with disabled people at vostel.de<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- FAQ – Frequently asked questions about volunteering with disabled people<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
1..The situation of disabled people in Germany<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Volunteering](\"https:\/\/vostel.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BLOG-Zwischenbilder-Vorlage-1.200x400-px-13-1024x341.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDefinition: What does disability mean?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
According to the Disability Equality Act \u00a73 (Behindertengleichstellungsgesetztes \u00a73)<\/a> “People with disabilities […] people who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with attitudinal and environmental barriers, may prevent them from participating in society on an equal basis with others. Long-term is defined as a period that is highly likely to last longer than six months.” <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The definition clearly shows that disability is always an interplay between individual impairments and environmental conditions. If you would like to find out more about the history of the term, we recommend the article by the Federal Agency for Civic Education<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How are disabilities categorized?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Basically, disabilities can be divided into different degrees of severity (GdB = degree of disability)<\/strong>. The GdB is measured on a scale from 10 to 100 in steps of ten, depending on the extent of the impairment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- A GdB of between 10 and 40 <\/strong>can be caused by mild allergies, mild mental disorders, obesity (overweight) or migraines, among other things. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Starting at a GdB of 50<\/strong>, a person is considered severely disabled, for example due to a mental disability, severe mental disorders, severe visual impairment or severe spinal cord damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The EnableMe page of the MyHandicap Foundation<\/a> provides a comprehensive overview of various disabilities and GdBs. In this article, we will focus on severe disabilities (GdB over 50), as these are best recorded statistically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How many disabled people are there in Germany?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Around 7.9 million<\/strong> people in Germany live with a recognized severe disability. Disabilities rarely develop from birth or during childhood, but often develop later in life, usually as a result of illness (in 91% of cases) or accidents. According to the Federal Statistical Office (statistisches Bundesamt)<\/a>, at the end of 2023, there were around: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- 3% under the age of 18,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 18% between 19 and 54 years<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 45% between 55 and 74 years,<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 34% older than 75 years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What forms of disability are there?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Volunteering](\"https:\/\/vostel.de\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-1024x341.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDisabilities can be of very different types, we have created a rough summary here. You can also find a more detailed overview on the EnableMe page of the MyHandicap Foundation<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Starting at a GdB of 50<\/strong>, a person is considered severely disabled, for example due to a mental disability, severe mental disorders, severe visual impairment or severe spinal cord damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- How organizations & volunteers support people with disabilities<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
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