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New name, new logo: Lebenshilfe Southern Wine Route in transition!
The Lebenshilfe Südliche Weinstraße e.V. association is changing its name, statutes and membership fee to promote diversity and inclusion.
New name, new logo: Lebenshilfe Southern Wine Route in transition!
The Lebenshilfe for people with disabilities e.V. District Association Landau – Südliche Weinstrasse has repositioned itself several times. At a general meeting, the association changed its name to Lebenshilfe Südliche Weinstraße e.V. and at the same time made linguistic changes to the statutes. These include, among other things, replacing the term “people with disabilities” with “people with disabilities”. In addition, gender-neutral names for all official and personal names were integrated into the statutes. As [Pfalz-Express](https://www.pfalz-express.de/lebenshilfe-mit-neuem-namen-neuem-logo-und-neuem-members contribution/) reports, this modernization is viewed as part of a larger strategy to professionalize the club's structure.
Eric Weik, board member of Lebenshilfe Südliche Weinstraße, emphasizes the importance of these adjustments. “The diversity of our organization is important to us, and we would like to use it to better meet the needs of our members,” he explained. In addition, the membership fee for new members was increased from the previous 26 euros to at least 50 euros - a decision that was made for the first time since 2002.
New logo and successful vote
Another highlight of the meeting was the presentation of a new logo, which was selected from around 100 suggestions. Almost 1,200 members, employees and clients had the opportunity to take part in the vote. The new logo was presented during an employee event and is intended to underline the club's fresh, modernized image. Lebenshilfe Südliche Weinstraße is not only a non-profit association, but also the owner of several GmbHs and institutions, including the Südpfalzwerkstätten and the Konrad Lerch dormitories. The next general meeting is scheduled for December 4th, 2025 in order to further advance developments.
An important step in professionalization was the introduction of a full-time executive board and a supervisory board in 2020, which is intended to monitor compliance with the association's goals. Marina Hoffmann, who has now been appointed as a full-time board member, brings in her expertise as a lawyer with additional special education qualifications and runs five non-profit companies, including the Inclusion Kindergarten Südpfalz gGmbH and Lebenshilfe Inclusive Workplaces Südpfalz gGmbH. As the Wochenblatt Reporter reports, this realignment is seen as groundbreaking for the club's future.
The challenges for people with disabilities
However, alongside these developments, there are also serious challenges faced by people with disabilities. The position paper of the Bundesvereinigung Lebenshilfe e.V. points out that people with complex disabilities often do not receive the necessary support and are often overlooked. As stated in the position paper of Quality Offensive Participation, these people are particularly dependent on comprehensive inclusion and participation. Difficulties in the legislation on participation services and inadequate support offers are central issues.
It is evident that Lebenshilfe Südliche Weinstraße wants to prepare for future challenges with its new measures. With a modern structure, adaptation to social developments and the effort to accommodate more people with disabilities, the association will continue to play a key role in the Southern Palatinate.