He's a pedagogue from the Netherlands and since 1952 he supported 'displaced persons' – children who were separated from their parents in war – in the Philipps-Hospital in Goddelau. In 1958, he appealed to think about the possibilities to found an institution for mentally handicapped people. On November 23th, there was a meeting in Marburg with experts for and with parents who strive for a better aid to support their children without getting separated from them. “The challenge to create such institutions for disabled people also in Germany has to emanate from an influential organization of parents who don't get tired to keep at it and also campaign for their well-being and happiness (Tom Mutters, 1958).” Their will to self-help was deciding for the foundation. Nowadays there are about 8,4 million. people who live with disability. They are largely accepted and have an amount of rights like the equality principle.
The name “Lebenshilfe” should express that people who are disabled – irrespective of age – get help in this organization their whole life. The first rules were “the support of all measures and institutions for mentally disabled humans of all age groups”. Over the years, the 'Lebenshilfe' grew. In Marburg there was the first local organization, then it spread to cities like Frankfurt am Main, Hannover and Bielefeld. About 1500 people were now part of the association. In the 1960s, there was the turnabout for a new start. Encouragement and education were the most important facts to be reached. The Federal Social Security Act determines that people with any handicap have to be integrated to society which also means that they have the right to be educated. In connection to Great Britain and the Netherlands, Mutters initiated the cooperation on European and international scale for a base for the “International League of Societies for Persons with Mental Handicap”. Today it is called “Inclusion International” which consists of more than 200 unions in 115 countries.
In the coming years the 'Lebenshilfe' affords the disabled humans more independence. Early childhood interventions were established and because of the lack of education for adults who have survived war and Euthanasia also sheltered workshops with different branches of production and workplaces were provided in the 1970s. Furthermore the people with a handicap could live in residential homes now and got new rights for rehabilitation. In the 1980s the 'Lebenshilfe' acted as tutor on their way to normal live. Normalization, a life as normal as possible, and integration, appreciation in society for being who they are, were important challenges now. Exonerating services for families in need of support (FED/FUD) also helped towards living at ease. Moreover the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 afforded the people of the DDR to establish 'Lebenshilfe'-institutions there, too. In the 1990s self-determination became more important. Keyword: Empowerment. People who are socially disadvantaged, discriminated or segregated took matters into their own hands with the aid of experts to identify their assets and unfold their capability. The 2000s got the ball rolling towards integration into society. “Together we get ahead!” is the motto for a society without any discrimination and equal rights for women and men, disabled and non-disabled humans. In 2007 the convention of the United Nations set up a contract for public international law, an instrument for the protection of human rights. The guideline is the appreciation of humans with disability as fully-fledged citizens of their society. Not only inclusion in schooling is claimed, but also rights for health, rehabilitation and employment are fixed.
So altogether you can sum up the aims of the 'Lebenshilfe':
First, they represent the interests of handicapped humans and their families. Second, they speak for the needed protection and support persons concerned need. Third, the 'Lebenshilfe' wants to support the understanding for the special problems and challenges these humans and their families have to meet. And fourth, the aim is equality and as much self-determination as possible for handicapped humans today and in the future.
50 years after the foundation of the 'Lebenshilfe' there are 527 local associations, more than 135000 members and 3000 institutions and services.