Administrative services A-Z

• Forms: Application for initiation of conciliation proceedings (PDF; 960 KB, 4 pages)
• Online procedure possible: yes
• Written form required: no
• Personal appearance required: no
  Online procedure on the website of the Federal Equal Opportunities Commissioner

If you experience impairments or disadvantages from federal authorities in your daily life, for example due to a lack of accessibility, you can call in the arbitration board.
Accessibility means, for example, that you can use buildings, means of transport or information processing systems without major difficulty and without outside help. If you experience impairments in your daily life due to federal public authorities because accessibility is not sufficiently developed, you can contact the arbitration board under the Disability Equality Act.
The arbitration board mediates disputes on the subject of accessibility between people with disabilities and federal public authorities.
The arbitration board is independent. The arbitrators are responsible for the impartial and fair conduct of the proceedings. The arbitrators and the employees of the office are obliged to maintain secrecy.

• You have a disability.
• As a result, they were disadvantaged by a federal public body - for example, by not sufficiently dismantling barriers.

If you are represented by someone else in the arbitration proceedings, you need a power of attorney (PDF; 60 KB, 1 page)

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To initiate an arbitration procedure, you must submit an application. The application form is also available in plain language. Your application must include the following:

• the facts of the case (the situation in which you have experienced an impairment),
• the goal you want to achieve with the conciliation procedure,
• your name and address, and
• the name and address of the public body of the Confederation
  You can submit the application online, by post, in German Sign Language via the SQAT service or by appointment in person on site.
  If you submit the application online:

• Fill in all the fields of the online form and follow the instructions.
• The arbitration board will then contact you.
  If you submit the application by post:

• Download the application and print it out.
• Fill out the application and enclose the required documents and send it by post or e-mail to the arbitration board.
  However, you can also send your application to the arbitration board by e-mail or submit an application in German Sign Language via the SQAT service.

• You click on the SQAT symbol on the website of the BGG arbitration board. Then record a video in German Sign Language. This is converted into an e-mail by a service provider.
• The response of the arbitration board is also converted into a sign language video
  You can submit the application orally directly on site at the arbitration board:

• After making an appointment, go to the arbitration board and say that you would like to file an arbitration procedure.
• The local staff will then initiate the arbitration procedure for you.
  This is how the arbitration procedure works:

• After you have submitted the application, the employee will review your application and also write to the public body.
• You will then receive an answer from the public authority and can respond to it.
• The conciliator will suggest an answer to you, which you can send to the public body.
• Sometimes you may also be invited to an arbitration meeting.
• If you have reached an agreement, the arbitration procedure is over.

If you cannot reach an agreement, you will receive a letter stating that the arbitration process was not successful

If there is already a deadline for appeals that has been interrupted by the conciliation process, you must submit the request for arbitration within the appeal period.

• Arbitration Board BGG

• § 16 Disability Equality Act (BGG)
• Disability Equality Arbitration Ordinance (BGleisV)

• Further information on the arbitration board can be found on the website of the Federal Equal Opportunities Commissioner

Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS)