Overview
- Government parties agreed to resume debate on the Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz reform after the planned first reading was pulled from the agenda in mid‑April.
- The draft would push accessibility duties beyond federal agencies to private providers, yet it labels all building changes and alterations to goods or services as a disproportionate burden.
- The plan expands the federal mediation office to cover disputes with private providers, while compensation against federal bodies would be capped at 1,000 euros.
- SPD lawmakers and the federal disability commissioner say the draft favors business interests and must be strengthened, while CDU voices welcome limits on costly retrofits and question leniency for federal buildings.
- Everyday gaps show the stakes, with only about 36% of medical practices reporting at least one accessibility feature and no uniform ID to prove an assistance dog’s right of entry.