[80th anniversary of the German Society of Rehabilitation]

Given the profound structural changes of the first industrial revolution, physically disabled people, just like blind, deaf or epileptic children, had come to be confronted with disastrous living conditions in the large cities. Based on a sense of joint responsibility, the German Society for Cripple Care (today: German Society for Rehabilitation of the Disabled) was founded already in 1909, which, in the 80 years of its existence, has both considerably influenced pertinent legislation and herself been influenced in terms of constitution, membership and issues dealt with by the broadening of the rehabilitation philosophy. The call for clinic, school and vocational training under one roof had been the beginning of the rehabilitation team. The subjects dealt with at the Society's conferences over the last two decades have included numerous topics that in the meantime have attained socio-political relevancy, a fact that underlines the pacesetting role of non-profit, voluntary organizations in our social welfare state, but in the international network as well.