Report from the 3rd "Who Cares?" discussion evening on 21 October 2025

Care work in all areas of life - making the invisible visible

The Care Revolution Rhine-Neckar network, together with the "Wiesloch for ALL" project of the Wiesloch Community Foundation and the Wiesloch Partnership for Democracy, organised the third open discussion evening on the topic of care.

We received the report on the event from Care Revolution Rhein-Neckar. Thank you!

The series of talks will focus on sharing experiences, challenges and possible changes in the field of care work:

What does care work mean for each and every one of us? How can it be lived better, distributed more fairly and recognised more? And what political and social changes are needed for greater participation and the protection of human dignity?

Annette Steidel and Sandra Oswald were guests on this evening.

Both women are dependent on a wheelchair and extensive support/assistance due to a chronic illness. They are involved in voluntary work, including in the "Wiesloch for all" project, which campaigns for greater accessibility and equal treatment of people with and without disabilities in the city.

Sandra Oswald, a registered nurse and mother of a three-year-old child, initiated the project within the Wiesloch Community Foundation and still heads it today.

Annette Steidel has been completely dependent on assistance for five years and has experienced the effects of the care crisis at first hand.

One of the things that became clear in the open and lively discussions was that

A good, trusting interplay between personal - i.e. family, friendly and neighbourly - relationships, civil society initiatives and projects (such as the broad-based community foundation), professional players (e.g. care services and advice centres) as well as politics and administration is the decisive basis for creating a "city for all".

The impression was created that the conditions in Wiesloch are almost ideal, as co-operation already works well in many areas. Experiences of discrimination were also reported only sporadically - young people in particular are very open and naturally helpful.

Thanks to the psychiatric hospital and the outpatient psychiatric services in the city, many Wiesloch residents are also used to meeting people with different impairments in everyday life - whether in city life or at work.

Of course, barriers still exist - especially in the area of invisible disabilities, as one visitor emphasised. These need to be recognised more and addressed in a targeted manner.

A conclusion of the evening:

Encounters in everyday life, openness and attention to different needs and concerns promote a climate of solidarity - a genuine care and concern for one another. This seems to work particularly well in manageable structures such as neighbourhoods or urban districts.

Particularly in view of tight municipal budgets, increasing social cuts and a shift to the right in society, it is all the more important today to act in solidarity and stand up together for a good life for all.

Full of gratitude for this valuable and enriching exchange, we would like to thank all participants - and especially our guests Annette Steidel and Sandra Oswald - for their openness and willingness to give us an insight into their commitment and lives.