The design of services and support systems for people with disabilities is at the center of key social policy reform processes in Austria and the German-speaking region. With the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD), Austria has committed to an inclusive, needs-based, and human rights-oriented provision of services. At the same time, the existing systems of service provision are characterized by federal responsibilities, historically developed service structures, and fragmented data situations.

The Center for NPO & Social Impact has been researching these areas of tension at the intersection of social policy, nonprofit organizations, and public service delivery for many years.

Key Research Areas 

One focus of the research is on the analysis of disability support systems and their further development in line with the UN-CRPD. This includes:

• The collection and analysis of the number, structure, and support needs of people with disabilities as a basis for social policy planning,

• The examination of service offerings and care structures (e.g., housing, day and employment structures, personal assistance),

• Issues of governance, financing, and management of services predominantly provided by nonprofit organizations on behalf of the public sector,

• The labor market integration of people with disabilities, including transitions between workshops, second, and primary labor markets,

• As well as the economic and social impacts of different service and reform models.

Methodological Approach and Participatory Research 

The work of the center is characterized by an interdisciplinary, empirically grounded, and participatory research approach. It employs quantitative surveys, secondary data analyses, qualitative interviews, and case studies. Key stakeholders—including people with disabilities, self-advocates, service providers, administration, and policymakers—are systematically involved in the research processes.

This participatory approach allows for scientific analyses to be closely linked with the experiences and perspectives of experts with lived experience, thus contributing to a practice-oriented and human rights-focused knowledge production.

An example of this is a joint project with Statistics Austria that dealt with the inclusive design of quality of life surveys. The goal was to actively involve people with intellectual disabilities in the development, testing, and reflection of survey instruments to adequately and validly capture their quality of life. The intensive collaboration with self-advocates and interest representatives made an important contribution to the further development of inclusive survey methods in official statistics.

Reference Projects:

Wages instead of pocket money
Labor market integration of people with disabilities in Upper Austria

A Voice for All

Evaluation of the Disability Equality Act

Data on the educational situation and labor market status of people with disabilities