Last night saw the premiere of a powerful new short documentary film, Rette sich, wer kann (Save yourself, those who can) addressing how disaster preparedness is failing people with disabilities. The film centers around the night of July 14, 2021 when 12 residents died in a home for people with disabilities during a flood in the Ahr Valley, Germany.

Produced by the non-profit association, andererseits, with the support of the ERSTE Foundation, the film talks to those affected, their relatives, experts and those responsible for the disaster. It tackles questions like whether these deaths could have been prevented, and exposes how disaster prevention plans and measures for people with disabilities work.

Gerald Radinger, Communications Expert at the ERSTE Foundation said of the film “The andererseits team has not only proven that they produce the most relevant documentaries through foresight and extensive research. They think about journalism in a new and inclusive way, not only in everyday editorial work, but also in all of their products. It is therefore important to us to support andererseits and thus enable access to journalism to people who have to date often found themselves excluded.”

The documentary provided the opportunity to gain further experience in the field of inclusive journalism. With its charisma, the project is intended to be an example of why inclusion is essential to the media landscape and social discourse. By working with media partners, the project aims to support efforts to ensure fair pay and create jobs for people with disabilities in journalism.

The non-profit association andererseits, is committed to promoting inclusion in journalism. The purpose of the association is to enrich the media landscape in Austria and in German-speaking countries by strengthening diverse voices, especially those of people with disabilities and is a hub for innovative approaches to increasing inclusion throughout the media industry.

This is the second documentary film made by andererseits that has been supported by the ERSTE Foundation. To watch the documentary, read more about the association and their work, please visit their website: Home – andererseits.org

The Foundation is committed to empowering those who actively address the social challenges of our time. (Empower those who care – ERSTE Stiftung) This is achieved through our investment in the development of new digital approaches, in capacity building and organisational development of NGOs and in the expansion of networks between sustainable social enterprises.