Inclusion does not come about through paragraphs, ramps or funding. It comes from looking, listening, taking things seriously – and the will not to leave anyone behind. At Opel, Thomas Wedde, the employer’s inclusion officer, and Dietmar-Karl Wagner, the voice of severely disabled employees, shape this attitude in everyday life. They represent many who are committed to accessibility, health and participation in the company – in different roles, with a common goal: work must remain possible for everyone.
To start, Thomas Wedde points to a number: 46 – the average age of the workforce in Rüsselsheim, and the trend is rising. With age, the stresses increase: physical, psychological, family. “Inclusion is no longer a fringe issue – it is securing the future,” he says. For Dietmar-Karl Wagner, representative of the Representative for the Severely Disabled (SBV), there is one thing that counts in addition to attitude: visibility. “It is important that our work becomes more present.”
“Get us involved if there are problems”
On December 3rd, the “International Day of People with Disabilities” reminds us of how necessary this visibility is: 7.9 million people in Germany have a severe disability – around nine percent of the population. Many experience barriers, prejudices or disadvantages. Self-determination, participation and equality must be developed anew every day – in society and in the company.
The eight-person SBV team around Wagner advocates exactly this. It supports colleagues with visible and invisible limitations, organizes workplace adjustments, applies for help, uses its network – and defuses conflicts. Wagner: “Get us involved when there are problems: We support you with everything that needs to be done – every situation is different, every help is individual.” For example, there are currently three job coaches from the integration specialist service for the SBV in Rüsselsheim who support employees directly at work, analyze stress and help structure tasks so that they remain feasible.
“We support you with everything you need – every situation is different, every help is individual.”
– Dietmar-Karl Wagner, representative of the severely disabled representative –
Conversations at eye level: Integration officer Thomas Wedde (from right) and his colleague Thomas Preis together with Dietmar-Karl Wagner.
Dietmar-Karl Wagner is a representative of the severely disabled representative. His team includes six deputies and one assistant.
Representation is also required for strategic projects. Wagner has been on the planning team for the new company headquarters, the GrEEn Campus, since January: discussions with investors and the state welfare association, coordination with architects, everything in accordance with DIN 18040 – the standard for barrier-free construction. The promise came in May: accessibility will be fully implemented in the new building. “If inclusion is taken into consideration right from the start, it often doesn’t cost anything extra,” emphasizes Wagner.
“A broken arm heals in weeks. Burnout takes months.”
Thomas Wedde works on the employer side, supported by his colleague Thomas Preis, as an inclusion officer. His office on the second floor of the company medical service is inconspicuous, but his job is not. He advises, mediates, warns. It ensures that the employer fulfills its obligations before conflicts escalate. His role is particularly clear in an issue that concerns companies everywhere: “The effects of mental illness are increasing: A broken arm heals in weeks. Burnout takes months.”
Wedde’s heartfelt topic is company health management (BGM). It combines occupational safety and health promotion. Programs are available for 2025/26 that will help before there is a fire: seminars on psychological stress, “healthy leadership,” nutritional advice, diagnostics, ergonomics programs. The problem: “Those who need it most are so deep in work that they don’t take the time.” His appeal: “More self-respect.”
“Those who need it most are so deep in work that they don’t take the time.”
– Thomas Wedde, inclusion officer –
On the employer side, Thomas Wedde is the contact person for the representatives of the severely disabled, the works council, the staff council and the employee representatives.
With barrier-free concepts, qualified contact persons and a strong network, Opel promotes the participation of all employees.
What Wedde means by this is: pay attention to yourself in good time before something breaks. Many employees feel overworked – sleep less, are exhausted, lose energy – but continue working out of a sense of duty or fear of burdening others. For Wedde, this is the wrong path. Self-esteem means taking warning signs seriously and accepting support before stress becomes an illness. This includes the offers that Opel provides: prevention courses and advice. “We create structures that help,” says Wedde. “But they only work if you use them.”
Under his direction, funding from the State Welfare Association is also used in a targeted manner: electric door openers, converted toilets, crane extensions, lifting aids, floor mats, handrails – investments that are noticeable every day. Of course there are also points where there are problems. An alarm system for deaf people at the Rüsselsheim location has been on the SBV’s wish list for a long time – implementation will take time. “In principle, as a representative of severely disabled people, we work very closely and in partnership with the employer representative,” emphasizes Wagner.
More than a compulsory exercise: the BEM
Wedde and Wagner work particularly closely together in one field: company integration management (BEM). It is required by law – but at Opel it is much more than a compulsory exercise. Goal: to bring employees back after a long illness so that they can stay. Without relapse. Without being overwhelmed.
It is never just those affected who sit at the table. Always there: SBV, inclusion officer, works council, sometimes the integration specialist service. Together they look for solutions: changed tasks, new working hours, technical assistance, qualifications. “There have been 27 BEM procedures in the past two years,” says Wedde. “Each one is an example of how work can be rethought,” says Wagner.
They represent everyone who is committed to accessibility, health and participation in the company: Saskia Harms (from left), Thomas Preis, Dietmar-Karl Wagner, Thomas Wedde and Mayke Elsinghorst from the Integration Office of the Hessian State Welfare Association.
“Companies that sustainably anchor diversity increase their innovative strength.”
Saskia Harms, Manager for Diversity & Inclusion in the company, adds to the strategic perspective of this work: “Diversity is and remains a strategic success factor. Economic uncertainties and political upheavals are putting diversity strategies to the test worldwide – but studies clearly show: Companies that sustainably anchor diversity increase innovative strength, employer attractiveness and resilience.”
Their words connect Wedde and Wagner’s operational actions with the bigger picture: inclusion is not just care – it is a competitive factor. That’s why inclusion at Opel is not an addition, but a lived responsibility – borne by people who ensure every day that no one is left behind in everyday work.
November 2025
Photos: Opel/Rudolf Mehlhaff