Cuts affect barrier-free cultural offerings in Saxony

People with disabilities "massively" disadvantaged

"The Inclusion funding guideline has been set to zero and the cultural sector as a whole has to cope with cuts," said Johanna von der Waydbrink, Head of the Inclusion Service Center in the Cultural Sector of the Saxony Sociocultural Association. This leads to people with disabilities being massively disadvantaged - both as cultural visitors and as artists and actors. According to Waydbrink, around 20 percent of people in Saxony live with a disability. There are already numerous reports from cultural institutions that planned projects in the area of inclusion are either being canceled or only partially implemented.

People with and without disabilities dance together at Tanzlabor Leipzig. Project coordinator Franziska Oertel fears that central projects may no longer be able to be implemented due to cutbacks. "Ultimately, this means a clearly noticeable loss of quality of life."

The German Hygiene Museum in Dresden also has to make cutbacks: "We currently have noticeably less funding available for inclusion than before, especially for special exhibition projects," says a spokesperson. In 2026, the well-known museum is also facing cuts to its overall budget. "As in all departments of the museum, we will also have to make cuts in the area of inclusion." A guidance system for the blind that has been planned for some time will also not be feasible for the time being, it said.

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