My life with assistance

A 100% disability! Does that really mean you can't do anything? Of course, I could have decided to live with my parents for as long as possible and then move into a residential home for people with disabilities. That might have saved me a lot of organizational hassle and allowed me to experience other things, but I wouldn't have been able to do the things I enjoy. I could never say that I have achieved anything. But that is exactly what drives me to keep moving forward, to want to experience more and more, and to believe in myself more and more.

Of course, I can only do this because I organize my life with personal assistance. As with almost everything I do, it's not easy.

Employer/employee relationship

In my role, I perform a wide variety of tasks. I am the boss, I look for my employees, I place job ads, I conduct job interviews and team meetings as well as employee reviews, I create the work schedule, the vacation schedule, and much more. At the same time, I am also personally dependent on my assistants, as they have to do a lot for me and I have to be able to rely on them. This includes leisure activities, housekeeping, and, of course, caregiving. The time that my employees spend working is my free time. And what boss spends their free time with their employees? That's why I make a point of maintaining good relationships with my team. This naturally includes making sure that those who work for me feel confident in what they do.

Individual training

Since I rarely work with trained professionals, comprehensive training is essential for me. At the beginning of their employment, my assistants accompany me to physiotherapy, where they learn various transfer techniques. Whether from a wheelchair to a bed or to the sofa, it's all a question of technique. We also like to rehearse for “emergencies” – what if someone falls? This often alleviates a major concern.

My assistants receive detailed training at the beginning. I also rely on my more experienced employees, who support and train each new team member during their first shifts.

I also conduct wheelchair training so that my assistants can learn how to use a wheelchair. But what is even more important to me is that new team members get to see the world from a wheelchair and are pushed around. This allows them to put themselves in my shoes for a moment. Very few people have had this experience before and they are amazed by it and by the trust it requires. Once we have achieved this, we can accomplish so much more together – but more on that later.

Assistance and the primary labor market

Of course, my life isn't just about leisure time. I also have a job – in the primary labor market. Employers are legally obliged to employ severely disabled people, otherwise they have to pay a quota levy (further information can be found at Laws on the Internet: SGB IX). As nice as that sounds, however, it is not implemented in reality. Many people with disabilities still have great difficulty finding a job outside of workshops for people with disabilities. So I have been lucky (too)!

As you can read here (About me), I work for an outpatient nursing service. Now you're probably wondering how that works in practice. This is where my assistants come in again, supporting me with the demands my job places on me. There are a wide variety of tasks in this area. Due to my physical disability, activities such as copying or typing are difficult for me, and I also have communication problems when making phone calls from time to time. So my assistant helps me with a wide range of tasks: she is my right-hand woman, so to speak.

Personal assistance

Once the work is done, the next challenge awaits my assistants, who of course also accompany me in my everyday life. Everyday challenges such as using an ATM for a person with a physical disability or shopping in a supermarket as a wheelchair user are just two small examples of the everyday hurdles that need to be overcome. This is not the only reason why it is very important that my assistant has a broad perspective and is not afraid to experience unfamiliar things. Because the reactions are not always positive for me. When I want to buy something and ask for help in a store, it is not uncommon for my assistant to be advised instead of me. Out of uncertainty, I am left out of the conversation in situations where I want to make my own decisions. That's why it's all the more important that my assistant knows me well, so that they can steer the situation in a direction that is comfortable for everyone and doesn't take away my opportunities to participate in social life. In short, building a trusting relationship with my assistant is absolutely essential for me.

Especially in my free time, I need the trust and support of my assistant to realize my wishes, ideas, and goals. My motto is that I don't set limits on myself or my creativity, but rather grow beyond existing boundaries. Diving for people with disabilities is not my only big hobby. As I am a very active person, I have tried many things in my free time, from riding a tricycle to horse riding, from a trike tour to a hot air balloon ride and paragliding.

My great passion, traveling, in particular, always presents opportunities to try the impossible. But there are also situations that cannot be planned for, despite careful preparation. For example, everything in a hotel may suddenly look different than expected, and the wheelchair may not fit in the elevator or through the bathroom door. That's when creativity is called for, because there is always a solution to such problems, and staying at home is not an option for me, in keeping with my motto in life:

There are no problems – there are only solutions!

Seeing something of the world, getting to know different cultures, and having a good time is what rewards me.

Because: Nothing ventured, nothing gained – with or without 100% disability according to the law!

If you can imagine yourself working in these areas, take a look at my job vacancies.