The creation of the action plan is based on a resolution of the Salzgitter City Council. It is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009. The core of this convention is the unrestricted and self-evident right of people with disabilities to participate.

The action plan was drawn up by the Salzgitter city administration in close cooperation with the Advisory Council for People with Disabilities and the parliamentary groups in the Council. It is intended as a target for a city in which everyone lives together on an equal footing. The action plan is geared towards fundamental areas of life such as education and upbringing, infrastructure and mobility, housing and participation, the world of work or culture and leisure. Its aim is to show what challenges exist in the fields of action and what measures can be used to gradually implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Salzgitter.

To this end, project groups drew up a list of 68 measures, some of which are already being implemented. Here are a few examples:

• Creation of a guidance system for public buildings (e.g. barrier-free information board),
• Creation of a requirements profile for barrier-free apartments,
• Subsidies for associations to demonstrate inclusive offers and
• Barrier-free design of the city's website as well as information leaflets and brochures.

At the presentation of the action plan at the meeting of the Advisory Board for People with Disabilities, Dr. Dirk Härdrich, Head of Social Affairs, emphasized: "Around 10,000 people with disabilities live in our open and colourful city. With the action plan, we want to significantly improve their chances of being able to participate in all areas of social life."

Anyone interested can request a hard copy of the action plan from the City of Salzgitter's Disability Officer, Frank Schimkat (by e-mail: behindertenbeauftragterstadt.salzgitterde or by telephone on 05341/839-3692). It is also available digitally on the city's website (see link below). People who would like to participate in the implementation of the action plan or have an idea for its implementation can also get in touch using the above contact details.