The comprehensive “Representative survey on the participation of people with disabilities”, or participation study for short, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) is the first survey of its kind in Germany.
The empirical study focuses on the participation opportunities and barriers experienced by people with an impairment or disability.
Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health(ICF), participation in various areas of life is examined.
A particular focus is placed on the opportunities for self-determined living and the personal and technical aids and remedies that people with impairments and disabilities make use of.
The participation survey should apply to all groups of people with impairments and disabilities, regardless of the type of impairment and also regardless of whether they live at home or in an institution.
The aim is to include all groups of people with impairments on a representative basis.
The project is designed as a participatory research project.
Numerous people with disabilities and relevant experts are involved.

Survey method

The participation study will be carried out from 2017 to 2024 and infas was commissioned to conduct the surveys.
Based on a nationwide household screening of 320,000 households, 16,000 people with disabilities were surveyed in private households in a first survey wave, with a further 6,000 people without disabilities being surveyed at the same time.
In addition, more than 3,000 residents were surveyed in residential care facilities.
In a second wave, 11,000 people with disabilities and 3,000 people without disabilities as well as 3,000 residents of institutions were surveyed in private households.
In addition, 1,000 homeless and hard-to-reach people will be surveyed.
The participation survey works on the basis of a saturated sample concept with comprehensive screening (CAPI / CATI / CAWI / CASI / PAPI) in 250 municipalities nationwide (population sample).
The study uses a multi-method, multilingual approach with questionnaires in German, Russian, Polish, Turkish, English and Arabic as well as barrier-free survey methods.
In both survey waves, in addition to 65 biographical-narrative interviews with people with disabilities, more than 100 problem-related interviews focusing on specific topics and 10 focus group discussions with people with different impairments will be conducted to exchange experiences and perspectives.