For a long time, the fact that bumble bees can fly was considered contradictory to the laws of aerodynamics. Although the riddle has been solved, the apparent paradox is still quite suitable as a motto for life– at least finds Laura Mench. What is important to the 21-year-old for her peers and why she believes that direct dialogue would lead to better implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, she tells us at REHACARE.com.
Name: Laura Mench Age: 21 City: Berlin / Germany Occupation: Blogger, copywriter, speaker and author of journalistic and short stories Impairment: Due to a progressive disease, I myself have limited mobility and am dependent on assistance.
Laura Mench: Anything that corresponds to my very macabre sense of humor.
What have you always been wanting to do and why have you never done this so far?
Laura Mench: Get a dog.
Which person has influenced you most? And why?
Laura Mench: My best friend because she already has a lot of experience with personal assistance.
You have the chance to become the Commissioner for the Disabled. What would you do first?
Laura Mench: My first official act would be a large conference with people with disabilities from all federal states. Together we would determine what the next steps and goals will be to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Direct dialogue with those affected would be of great importance to me as Commissioner for the Disabled.
Thanks to personal assistance, Laura Mench can lead her own life. Many of her peers are denied this opportunity – because as a lack of knowledge or because they despair when applying. A circumstance that the 21-year-old would like to change.
What is especially near and dear to you?
Laura Mench: The model of personal assistance must become much better known. There are so many disabled young people living in care institutions. They are parked there and neglected. With personal assistance, everyone gets the life they deserve. Currently, payers do not make it easy for their clients. Applications for personal budgets are very often rejected because they are allegedly too expensive. The exact opposite is the case and that this changes is very close to my heart.
I would like to be...
Laura Mench: ...an owl.
Which question would you like answered the most?
Laura Mench: How did the current state of the facilities come about? And why is there no improvement?
What I finally want to say...
Laura Mench: My personal motto for life: "Think of a bumblebee: According to its stature it cannot fly. It does it anyway, because it doesn't know."
What makes other people actually happy in life? If you ever wondered, you have come to the right place. In regular intervals REHACARE.com asks a varity of people always the same questions. What results from that? Read for yourself!