The SBV must ensure that the laws and regulations applicable to people with severe disabilities are complied with.

The SBV is obliged to maintain confidentiality regarding the personal circumstances and affairs of university employees which come to its attention in the course of its duties and which, by virtue of their significance or content, require confidential treatment (Section 179(7) of Book IX of the Social Code).

The SBV acts in an advisory and supportive capacity in all matters concerning an individual person with a severe disability, persons with severe disabilities as a group, and those treated as equivalent to them.

The following assistance can be provided:

• Assistance with submitting an application to the Pension Office to obtain a degree of disability (GdB).
• Support with submitting applications for gender equality to the Employment Agency.
• Assistance with appeals procedures.
• Guidance and advice on recruitment processes and appointment procedures, provided that people with severe disabilities or those treated as such have applied. In this regard, the SBV ensures that the selection procedure is free from discrimination and that, where candidates have equivalent or comparable qualifications, people with severe disabilities are given preferential consideration when filling a post.
• Promoting the integration of people with severe disabilities into the organisation.
• Advice on equipping workplaces to meet the needs of people with disabilities.
• Applying to the relevant authorities for support services to facilitate integration into the workplace.
• Providing information on external support services (e.g. Integration Office, Jobcentre, Pension Insurance).
• Receiving suggestions and complaints in order to find a solution satisfactory to all parties in collaboration with those responsible.
• Participating in staff and BEM meetings with people with severe disabilities.
• Facilitating discussions and providing advice on workplace issues.

The SBV is a one-person representative body with currently five elected deputies.
It operates as an independent body, working closely with the Staff Council, and is not subject to instructions from the employer.

The legal basis is provided by the Social Code (SGB IX), the Disability Equality Act, the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), the guidelines on the equal and self-determined participation of people with severe disabilities and those treated as such in working life in the public sector, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). We also adhere to the disability inclusion agreement concluded in 2022 between the Presidential Board, the Staff Council and the Representative for Employees with Disabilities. This can be viewed on the administration portal and in the Official Notices at https://uol.de/amtliche-mitteilungen?suche=disability inclusion agreement

The SBV takes part in Staff Council meetings. It also participates in the Staff Council’s working groups on issues affecting people with severe disabilities (e.g. health and safety at work, public relations, staff-management appraisals).