Whilst SNE head teachers across the country make an effort to secure mainstreaming of children with and without a disability at regular schools - despite tight human resources - and thus comply with the UN-mandate of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability to ensure joint learning for all, the news of a novel blood test during early pregnancy has made an impact: The new compound named “Praena Test” identifies a Down’s-syndrome (trisomy) foetus at a very early stage of pregnancy.

This is a striking example for the fact that the picture of an inclusive society has not arrived in people’s heads just yet. The subject of inclusion is often reduced to the field of education, but this is just one side. To understand and to implement inclusion as a common human right is the flip side of the medal. In this connection Stephan Prändl, National Chairman of the German Association for Special Education, quotes from a vdsposition paper: “The right of active participation and inclusion in community life is a central objective for all humans. This right of equitable and equal participation in all realms of society is without restrictions also effective for severely disabled human beings.”

In this case we talk about the very first of all human rights, the right to life, the right of the unborn child.

The German Association for Special Education vds is strengthened in its position by a statement of Hubert Hüppe, federal commissioner for the concerns of people with a disability, who at yesterday’s press conference spoke of PraenaTest as illegal and called it a “dragnet investigation of humans with a disability”.

The German Association for Special Education vds is consistent with the federal commissioner’s statement and offers its support.

July 6^th 2012

Translation: Ruth Stang