"Please remember to look up at the stars..."

On March 14, the news reported the death of British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (1942–2018). His fascinating life serves as an inspiration to many people with disabilities who lead perfectly normal lives despite their disabilities or limitations.

At the age of 20—while working on his doctoral dissertation—Hawking experienced severe health problems. He wasdiagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) , a very serious disease of the nervous system. At the time, doctors predicted he had only three years left to live.

Yet his life took a different course, and now—in March 2018 — a 76-year-old, world-renowned physicist who is mentioned in the same breath as Newton and Galileo—can be attributed to his intelligence, the course of his illness, how he coped with it, and his active participation in society despite his disability. The 2014 documentary *Stephen Hawking*, well worth watching, sensitively traces this success story.

Hawking’s health impairments meant that he was dependent on the support of others every second of the day, yet he was still able to lead a largely self-determined life.

The Zittau/Görlitz university honors Hawking’s life’s work

and calls on its members to support the recently published “Action Plan for Inclusion 2025 – HSZG for All” and to work together toward an inclusive university.

The diversity of people at HSZG requires solutions in everyday life that help offset disadvantages. People with disabilities are particularly dependent on this. They do not want special attention. Like everyone else, they need acceptance and participation to foster their self-efficacy.

The HSZG’s Inclusion Action Plan 2025 addresses the special responsibility of all university members (staff and students) for implementing the rights of people with disabilities in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).

The action plan defines individual measures with participation goals across five areas of action and allocates resources to them:

• University Organization
• Staff
• Academic Programs: Instruction and Exams, Including Practical Training and Study Abroad Semesters
• Physical Accessibility
• Communicative Accessibility

The university is thus also responding to the policy call to give greater attention to disability in the context of studies and teaching, as well as in its role as an employer. Inclusion can be an important driver for the renewal of processes and structures, as well as for the continuous review of the university’s own stance.

Going forward, a steering committee will oversee the implementation of the Inclusion Action Plan. Its members are: Dipl.-Jur. Karin Hollstein, Prof. Dr. jur. Michael Kaspar, Prof. Dr. phil. Petra Fuchs, Dr. Jürgen Scheibler, and Robert Viertel, M.A.

The members of the steering committee welcome your information about ways to improve opportunities for participation.

The university’s public relations department promotes the visibility of inclusion through a logo.