"Accessibility means self-determination for those affected. People with disabilities are still confronted with obstacles in everyday life that could be avoided - if they were taken seriously. It's not about an extra service or luxury, but a basic right. Getting to an official building or a museum without assistance, using public transport or simply getting into your own home are simple wishes that are often denied to people with disabilities. I say: accessibility is not an optional extra, but a duty. But there is still a lot to do here," emphasises Ombudsperson Gaby Schwarz in the run-up to the International Day of People with Disabilities.
"I have a problem with people with disabilities being degraded to supplicants and I am doing everything I can for genuine inclusion," says the Ombudsperson, referring to the Wels Social Services Centre, for example, which can now be accessed barrier-free thanks to a mobile ramp. The Ombudsperson has also intervened at Stammersdorf cemetery. Paths made of exposed aggregate concrete slabs were removed there to promote biodiversity, making barrier-free access to graves more difficult. "Accessibility must not be sacrificed for biodiversity. I will keep at it until there is a solution that fulfils both concerns," says Gaby Schwarz.
The Austrian Ombudsman Board itself has also improved accessibility - namely with the relaunch of its website. The website www.volksanwaltschaft.gv.at was completely redesigned in 2025 and is now even more user-friendly. Thanks to AI support, texts can be displayed in multiple languages and also in plain language. "I am proud that our website now meets the highest standard of accessibility. This makes us a national role model," says Gaby Schwarz.
"I am committed to genuine inclusion," emphasises Ombudswoman Gaby Schwarz. Photo: Austrian Ombudsman Board/Daniel Bointner