image author: Hartmut Golomb

The 15th day of coming together took place on Saturday, the 2nd of June 2012. More than 25.000 visitors participated in the APX in Xanten. Thus the day of coming together was biggest family celebration for people with and without handicaps in Europe.

The 'muzzle verdict' from 1998 was in a sense the foundation for the day of coming together. This verdict stipulated when the handicapped people from a residential group could use their garden. The LVR decided after this verdict to create an event, which would advocate a better togetherness of people with and without a handicap. By now this idea has become a family celebration, which is unique in Europe in its size and atmosphere.

Impressions of the day of coming together.

image author: Hartmut Golomb

Ca. 200 exhibitors celebrated together with the guests and all players and campaigned for equal social participation of people with a handicap. Every year this festival offers a unique platform for information, exchange and intensive encounters between people with and without handicap.

The programme offers something for everybody. On stage were for example Guildo Horn with his 'Die Orthopädischen Strümpfe' (The orthopaedic stockings) and Tobias Kramer, a deaf dancer and DJ to name but two. There was also a large sports and exercise park, which offered lots of options of popular sports as well as competitive sports. One could discover something new and meet people at the same time.

Children and youngsters could either participate in a hands-on circus or play at the play stations.

In the years 2013 and 2014 the Day of coming together took place in Cologne, the headquarter of the LVR.