Research

Motivation
Internationally, the tertiary education sector has established inclusive standards that actively involve people with intellectual disabilities. In the USA, there are numerous inclusive higher education programs (Grigal et al., 2024). In Europe, many such offerings are connected through the JoinIN network (EASPD, 2023). Approaches to participatory research with co-researchers are also regarded as a standard of scientific quality (Petropoulou et al., 2025). In Germany, by contrast, there have so far been mainly isolated offerings such as individual inclusive seminars, certificate courses or summer schools (Mischo et al., 2023). This reveals a gap in integration that needs to be structurally anchored, institutionally secured and linked to research.

Project Objectives
The aim of the project is to establish at LMU a model of inclusive higher education, employment and research that is unprecedented in Germany and internationally compatible. This goal is to be pursued for and with people with intellectual disabilities. To this end, three pillars that have so far been organized separately are brought together:

• a modular education program at the university,

• inclusive teaching with the involvement of self-advocates,

• participatory research on artificial intelligence (AI) and social participation.

In this way, people with intellectual disabilities actively help shape teaching, research and university practice. At the same time, legally viable structures are to be created so that the model becomes sustainable.

Approach
The project runs in three phases: structure and concept development, piloting and real-world laboratory, and consolidation and transfer. It comprises five work packages:

1. A modular education program for participants with core modules, elective modules and several internships, together with an associated pilot and evaluation with the first cohort.

2. Development of inclusive teaching formats in which university students and program participants learn together. This is complemented by workshops in higher education didactics for teaching staff.

3. Co-researchers are trained and collaborate on participatory AI pilot projects at a research institute.

4. LMU prepares and applies for recognition as an ‘other service provider’ (GER: “anderer Leistungsanbieter”) under Section 60 of the German Social Code, Book IX (§60, SGB IX), so that education and employment are secured under social law.

5. A social start-up in the form of a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) is prepared and founded. It is intended to raise further third-party funding, advance technological innovations and transfer results into practice.

Project period: 3 years ([10/2026] to approx. [10/2029])
Project lead: Prof. Dr. Peter Zentel
Project staff: Bernhard Traulssen, Katharina Demlehner, Alexandra Ametsberger

The project is funded by the Lieselotte Birgmeier Foundation.

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