Austria mourns disability activist Bernadette Feuerstein

Bernadette Feuerstein, a leading Austrian advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, died on 28 July 2026 at the age of 67. She co‑founded and served as president of Selbstbestimmt Leben Österreich and helped launch the disability‑rights organization BIZEPS. Feuerstein played a key role in landmark legal actions, including the first association lawsuit for personal assistance for students in federal schools and a case against discriminatory pricing for barrier‑free hotel rooms. She also chaired Austria’s independent monitoring committee for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, representing it at the 2023 state review in Geneva.

Austrian officials and disability‑rights groups praised her lifelong commitment. Social Minister Korinna Schumann called her a “strong voice for self‑determination and human rights,” while green disability spokesperson Ralph Schallmeiner described her as an “indefatigable fighter.” Her death is seen as a major loss for the Austrian disability movement.