Beate Höß-Zenker, member of the board of the Bundesverband Konduktive Förderung nach Petö e.V. (Federal Association for Conductive Education), spoke for REHACARE.com on the occasion of World Cerebral Palsy (CP) Day with two people affected. Janine Aigner and Thomas Müller talk about their life with cerebral palsy and tell what meaning the World Cerebral Palsy Day has for them personally.
Ms. Aigner, today is World Cerebral Palsy Day and you yourself are affected by the disability. Please introduce yourself briefly.
Janine Aigner: My name is Janine Aigner. I am 30 years old and have had cerebral palsy since birth. I currently still live with my mother, but would soon like to live in my own apartment with 24-hour assistance.
I have been receiving Conductive Education since 1993. At that time I started in Budapest and afterwards I attended an inclusive kindergarten, run by the association FortSchritt gGmbH in Starnberg, Germany. I still benefit from the holistic concept of conductive support and am largely independent because of it. I attended the Ernst-Barlach-Schools of the Pfennigparade Foundation and am currently doing my bachelor's degree in social work.
What are your plans after graduation?
Aigner: After graduation, I would like to work in consulting; but I'm not yet sure in which field. But I hope to find an exciting, well-paid job that fulfills me and where I can pass on my experience and help other people achieve their wishes and goals. This won't be easy, but I'm confident I'll find something suitable.
Where do you see the problems in the job search?
Aigner: For a person with a disability, the chances of finding a job are sometimes slim. Employers often prefer to pay a penalty. Reasons for this could be: reservations, fears of employers, the longer notice period for employment contracts of people with disabilities, adapting the workplace to individual needs, longer and more intensive training period, more time needed to complete tasks.