Inclusion in focus: Wiesbaden's potential pioneers make it to the finals of the Founder's Prize!

Inclusion in focus: Wiesbaden's potential pioneers make it to the finals of the Founder's Prize!

At a time when awareness of inclusion and accessibility is constantly growing, the “Potenzial Pioneers” agency from Wiesbaden is committed to the integration of people with health impairments. On November 7th, the initiative will be celebrated as part of the Hessian Founder's Prize after it made it to the final. The online voting runs until November 7th, and it remains exciting to see whether “Potenzial Pioneers”, founded by Mirko Korder and Martin Schenk, can actually bring home the award. East Hesse News reports that Korder has been in a wheelchair since he was 13 and lost both legs and his right arm in a dramatic accident. Nevertheless, he never gave up and founded the “Rhine River Rhinos” sports club about 15 years ago, which is now one of the best in Europe.

Together with Martin Schenk, who gained his first experiences in the field of inclusion during his community service and has been editor of the magazine “Rollt” since 2013, the initiative wants to break down barriers in people’s minds. The goal is clear: to promote understanding cooperation and the creation of barrier-free structures. This is done, among other things, through speaker placements, lectures, workshops and consulting services that are intended for both schools and companies.

Common goals and social change

The commitment of the “Potential Pioneers” goes hand in hand with the Federal Government’s efforts to improve accessibility across the board. How BMAS highlights, an important cabinet decision on accessibility was made in November 2022. This open-ended federal initiative focuses on the full participation of people with disabilities and obliges the federal, state and local governments to continue to reduce barriers. It remains to be hoped that initiatives such as those of the “Potential Pioneers” can initiate further developments and changes in this context.

With their agency, Korder and Schenk are determined to change the way society thinks about disabilities. Through direct communication and personal encounters, they want to reduce fear of contact and increase understanding of the challenges that people with disabilities face.

So if you would like to do something for inclusion by November 7th, take the chance to cast your vote for “Potential Pioneers”. The opportunity to make a difference is in your hands – not just for today, but also for an inclusive future.