100% LIFE WITH 100% DISABILITY - ACCORDING TO THE LAW

A life with assistance - between everyday life and challenges - between

socializing and privacy - between friendship and working relationships

About

Matthias Klei

Some people dream of becoming a doctor, some people would like to meet a pop star, and I have a vision of inspiring an entire TV crew with an idea that is special to me. I would like to take you on a journey – my journey! To the other side of the world – despite being 100% disabled.

How did this vision come about?

A few years ago, when this dream was born, I thought about how I could make it come true. That's how the idea of creating a slideshow to document my activities came about. After a year of working on it bit by bit, I created a presentation that I took with me to my seminars and lectures. The participants in the events responded positively and were thrilled to see what is possible – despite being 100% disabled.

After the good feedback, I continued to work on the slideshow and it became more and more professional over time. As fate would have it, I soon had an important encounter. During a job interview for a position I had advertised in my team, I met Daniel Fort. We hit it off right away and got talking, and I learned that he would be more suited to me as a photographer than as a work assistant. That's how the project began, and Daniel supports me wherever he can...

And then?

Daniel has been photographing my life since 2009. He has already built up an impressive collection of images, which I have meticulously sorted and accompanied with text. And as life would have it, this project led directly to another. We believe that the realistic photographs and accompanying texts are of sufficient quality to fill an entire photo book. On the one hand, to provide a realistic picture of society's reactions to the issues of disability and assistance, but on the other hand, it is much more important to me that this photo book encourages people with disabilities to pursue their dreams and show that often much more is possible than they think. People who work with people with disabilities, maintain contacts and friendships with them, also get a picture of someone who is not exaggerating when they say “I WANT to do this – despite being 100% disabled!”, even if they may be in a wheelchair, unable to see, hear or speak, or have other limitations.

When does it start?

The illustrated book now comprises around 170 pages and is expected to be published within the next two years. I will of course provide more information about the publication here and on Facebook. But so that I don't leave you in suspense, I would like to give you a few small visual samples here. Since the publication date is still so far away, I decided in 2018 to start a live photo film presentation with this illustrated book and present it nationwide.

What about the vision for the film?

The film is still planned, of course. However, many friends have advised me to publish the photo book first and set up this website so that I can present myself in advance through other media.

You can find more information about the film project at: Film: To the other end of the world