Integration and inclusion

Inclusion means enabling people with disabilities to lead a self-determined and independent life. To ensure this, the participation of people with disabilities in municipal decision-making processes and the development of a barrier-free city of Hilden must be promoted and implemented.

The Disability Advisory Board is the body that politically represents the interests of people with disabilities.

At some point, the day comes when every single person wants to turn their back on their parents' home and move into their first own apartment. People with an intellectual disability and their relatives then ask themselves many questions:

• What types of housing are there anyway?
• What are the applications to be submitted?
• Who supports with the things of everyday life?
• And who is financing all this?

Christian Jakubczak from the coordination, contact and counseling center (KoKoBe) for people with intellectual disabilities in the district of Mettmann has answers to these and many other questions. The KoKoBe advises people with intellectual disabilities and their relatives throughout the district on the topics of living, working and leisure.

Jakubczak is also regularly present in Hilden with monthly consultation hours. The counseling service is free of charge and anonymous if desired. Registration is not required.

The office hours take place on every third Wednesday of the month from 10:00 - 12:00 in room 109 of the town hall, Am Rathaus 1 in Hilden. Access is barrier-free. Outside office hours, Christian Jakubczak can be reached by phone at 02104/99-2384.

The city of Hilden is home to people who came to Germany from over 100 different countries around the world. The reasons for this are almost as diverse as the cultures they come from: Often they did not leave their homeland voluntarily, but because of wars or crises. But economic, family and other reasons were also the reason for many people to come to Germany or to Hilden.

Experience shows that regardless of the reasons people from other countries come to us, they enjoy living in Hilden and plan their future here. When people move in, a society changes.

The municipal institutions and a large network of voluntary helpers accompany and shape the process of integrating immigrants in many ways - ultimately for the benefit of all people in the city. Accordingly, the climate in the city is characterized by cosmopolitanism, respect and acceptance.

In Hilden, the integration of immigrants has always been regarded as a task for society as a whole ("cross-cutting task for society as a whole"). Therefore, "integration" cannot be the task of a single office or department. Nevertheless, there is the position of integration officer in the administration. This is where the threads come together with regard to the city's conceptual work, planning and projects.

The Integration Officer is the administration's contact person for the Integration Council, whose meetings he attends and whose agendas he helps to shape. He is also the contact person for the "Network of Hilden Migrant Associations" with which the city cooperates regarding the planning of integration work. The integration officer also handles the application process for the "Catalogue of Measures for Integration", a pot of 20,000 euros per year from which all agencies in the city can apply for money to promote integrative projects and measures. Applications must be submitted to the integration officer, who then submits a proposal to the social committee, which ultimately decides on the allocation of funds.

The integration officer is also the contact person for people who are volunteering in the area of refugee assistance or are planning to do so. Among other things, he is the interface to the district of Mettmann, from where state funds (funding program "KOMM AN NRW") are provided for the voluntary work of this context.

The "Förderpreis Integration" is also awarded by the Integration Officer. Proposals are to be submitted to him, he convenes the jury and organizes the award ceremony.

The integration officer also provides information on issues related to integration and migration. A personal visit can be arranged by appointment.