Focus session on the project “Working – the way I want to!” in Berlin

The 60th annual conference of the German Society for Social Medicine and Prevention was held this year under the title “Participation and Co-Creation.” Felix Fankhänel and Daniel Krüger (Social Research Center Dortmund) as well as Jill Backs, Joline Düring, and Noemi Heck (Franz-Sales-Haus) used the focus of the conference to offer in-depth insights into the participatory approach of the project “Working – the way I want to!” (AWIEW). With its strong focus on the question of how participation can be successfully achieved in research and development (R&D) projects, the AWIEW approach attracted a great deal of interest.

Daniel Krüger began by introducing the concept of co-creation. He addressed the criteria, reasons, and significance of participation in R&D projects involving people with disabilities. This was followed by a special highlight: Noemi Heck, an employee at the Franz Sales House workshops, reported on her experiences with career orientation and the challenges it entails. This provided the central reference point for her presentation, along with Jill Backs and Joline Düring: the participatory design of an AI-supported needs analysis tool based on the criteria of co-creation, implemented through co-design and a participatory public relations team. Felix Fankhänel concluded with a presentation on the framework conditions for the use of AI-based tools. He focused on findings from embedded research – a particularly intensive form of participant observation – and expert interviews with company employees.

The session was characterized by lively discussions and interested questions about the situation in integration assistance and career guidance, the labor market, and, in particular, the realization of participation in research and development with people with disabilities and target groups of solutions in general.