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#TogetherForInclusion

Welcome to the Initiative of Messe Düsseldorf and REHACARE

Welcome to #TogetherForInclusion, an initiative by Messe Düsseldorf and REHACARE, launched on the occasion of the Paralympic Games. Our goal is to create a platform with you that promotes an inclusive society where diversity and participation are the norm and discrimination belongs to the past.

Photo: Collage with various images such as an assistance dog and a runner with a prosthesis summarised under #TogetherForInclusion

Every Story Deserves to Be Heard

Share your experiences and inspire others! Whether it's personal challenges, advanced technologies, or pioneering contributions from sports, politics and culture – every story advances true equality of opportunity and deserves to be heard. Show us how you overcome barriers and become part of our visible campaign on platforms and social media. We call on companies, associations, NGOs, and every individual to join us and become ambassadors of inclusion.

Our Ambassadors of Inclusion

Together with leading figures like Messe chief Wolfram Diener, Mayor of Düsseldorf Dr. Stephan Keller, as well as committed Paralympic athletes and renowned organizations like UNESCO, EnableMe, BAG, BRSNW, DGUV, and companies like Ottobock, Sunrise Medical, and research institutes such as the Fraunhofer Institute, #TogetherForInclusion is setting new standards for an inclusive tomorrow.

Photo: Ayleen, woman with long brown hair, smiles into the camera.

Ayleen Walter
Ayleen, 29 years old, lives in Marburg and has suffered from a degenerative spinal disease since childhood. Despite repeated herniated discs, she remained active until 2020, studying, working as a swimming instructor, and volunteering. A deterioration in her health led to paraplegia.
Photo: Alexander Schilling, man with brown hair infront of a the Borussia Düsseldorf wall; Copyright: Borussia Düsseldorf

Alexander Schilling
Alexander Schilling has been loyal to the club for 22 years and has held positions of great responsibility. As the head of the Bundesliga department, he directs the professional operations and continuously introduces new initiatives to make table tennis and the league operations more attractive and forward-looking.
Photo: Valentin Baus, man with blond hair in a wheelchair laughs while standing with his wheelchair in front of the Borussia Düsseldorf screen. Copyright: Borussia Düsseldorf

Valentin Baus
Valentin Baus is a German table tennis player in the Paralympic class WK5 and is considered "one of the most talented table tennis players with a disability in Germany." Born in 1995 with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease), he discovered his passion for table tennis at the age of 7 during a family vacation on the East Frisian coast.
Photo: Moritz Brückner, man with brown hair in a wheelchair laughs while driving his wheelchair; Copyright: Alwin Zwibel

Moritz Brückner
As an authentic speaker and professional presenter, he tries to bring people closer to his dynamic sport and his disability (quadriplegia, C7 complete) through touching talks, unique videos and informative social media posts.
Photo: Wolfram N. Diener, Man with glasses stands in the exhibition hall and smiles. Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann

Wolfram N. Diener
Inclusion is no longer just an objective, it's the very cornerstone of our coexistence. We are committed to and actively working on breaking down barriers and creating equal opportunities for everyone – in all areas of life.” Wolfram N. Diener, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf
Photo: Philipp Hoefer, Man with brown hair stands next to mannequins with prostheses.

Philipp Hoefer
As a manufacturer of assistive devices, we at Ottobock experience daily how prosthetics, orthotics, and wheelchairs contribute to inclusion. People with disabilities are pushing personal boundaries, gaining more mobility, and improving their quality of life with such solutions. Access to individual and innovative assistive devices is therefore essential.
Photo: Thomas Babacan, man with grey hair stands in front of the Sunrise Medical logo at his company

Thomas Babacan
As the CEO of Sunrise Medical, I am delighted to announce our support for #TogetherForInclusion. Our advanced mobility products and solutions are essential and vital in making the world more accessible for everyone.
Photo: Dr Stefan Hussy, man with glasses in tie and sacko in conversation Copyright: DGUV / Jan Röhl

Dr. Stefan Hussy
My commitment to inclusion and participation in statutory accident insurance goes back to a very formative personal experience: As a plant manager in the steel industry, I had to witness a severe accident: A colleague got caught in moving rollers and sustained serious leg injuries. This experience was ultimately also a trigger for my professional switch to the world of trade associations.
Photo: Christiane Hennemann, woman with short grey hair and glasses laughing;

Christiane Hennemann
As a medical journalist around the turn of the millennium, it became very clear to me that all health strategies were focused on the expected large number of elderly people in the next 20 years. Therefore, in 2000, we founded the association rehaKIND e.V., to give young people with disabilities and their families a voice and more visibility.
Photo: Hannah Tümpel, woman with brown shoulder-length hair and glasses laughing; Copyright: German Commission for UNESCO / Till Budde

Hannah Tümpel
"kulturweit is a volunteer service for everyone. Together with our partner organizations, we work #TogetherForInclusion. Together, we break down barriers. We aim to find suitable deployment sites for every need. Why? Because we want to give all young people who are interested the chance to experience a voluntary social year abroad."
Photo: Hannes Niemann, smiling in front of the exhibition centre; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann

Hannes Niemann
“We are delighted to not only continue the #GemeinsamFürInklusion (#TogetherForInclusion) initiative at REHACARE, but to expand it further. This campaign provides businesses and the entire community with a one-of-a-kind platform to present groundbreaking solutions for inclusion and participation.”
Photo: Joachim Schoss, Man in blazer stands in front of a fireplace and smiles

Joachim Schoss
"Due to my accident, I have experienced how life can change fundamentally from one moment to the next and how many barriers people with disabilities must overcome daily. That is why my foundation, www.EnableMe.de, has been offering support in all aspects of life for people with disabilities for 20 years."
Photo: Dominik Siemenroth, Man with blond hair smiles

Dominik Siemenroth
He has been the state coach for para-rowing in North Rhine-Westphalia since January 2023. He was previously a member of the national para-rowing team from 2018 to 2022. After a promising youth as a footballer, a cancer diagnosis forced him to have a transfemoral amputation in 2009, whereupon he gave up competitive soccer. He discovered his passion for rowing at RTHC Bayer Leverkusen.
Photo: Lukas Gloßner, smiling in a wheelchair with a basketball and sportswear.

Lukas Gloßner
The biggest challenge of his life came when he was permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the age of 16. This profound change forced him to fight for his independence. Thanks to the strong support of his family and his own ambition, he was able to overcome this challenge and successfully manage his everyday life.
Photo: Kim Cremer, man with bald head and beard in black jumper smiles with folded arms.

Kim Cremer
Kim Cremer, a dedicated para-triathlete in the PTS4 class, experienced a major turnaround in his life after a serious accident in which his foot was severely injured. Four years after the accident, he opted for an amputation, a decision that not only paved his way back to a fulfilling life, but also allowed him to enter the sport.
 

You can find more best practice examples in our eMag:

Image: Two buggies for children next to each other on a platform

Children's aids: The best support from an early age

Aids for children require special care to enable them to lead as independent a life as possible. Several suppliers in Hall 4 explained to us how this is reflected in the manufacturing process.
Click here for the section Business
Hier geht es zur Rubrik Lifestyle
Click here for the section Personality

Our Mission

#TogetherForInclusion is more than an initiative – it brings about change through powerful stories and innovative technologies. Our mission is to actively overcome barriers and enable inclusion in all areas of life. Discover how inclusion becomes reality through real opportunities for participation and diversity, and experience how initiatives and successes are made tangible. Our goal is to create a platform with you that fosters an inclusive society where diversity and participation are the norm and discrimination belongs to the past.

Participating is Easy! How Does It Work?

Here’s how you can participate:

Send your best practices and stories in the form of an article (1000 characters) along with meaningful pictures or as a short video message.

  • Video: Portrait (9:16)
  • Photo: Portrait (9:16) AND Landscape (16:9)

Your contribution will be published on this microsite and shared on our social media so that you can further spread it on your own channels.

- Please send your material to [KuehnhenrichM@messe-duesseldorf.de].

Do you also have an inclusion story that you would like to share with us? Feel free to post your experiences and contributions using #TogetherForInclusion.