DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY – 22 September 2026 – Messe Düsseldorf will stage REHACARE 2026 from 23 to 26 September in Düsseldorf, placing community creators and people with disabilities at the center of the independent living debate. The trade fair is adding a Community Hub in Hall 7, organized by X Carstens and REHACARE, as a dedicated stage for around 20 creators and influencers across all four trade fair days. The program includes personal stories, talks, roundtables, readings, entertainment and Meet & Greet opportunities, with a Community Day on Saturday, 26 September. For care practitioners, specialist retailers, associations and institutional stakeholders, the move signals a stronger emphasis on user-led perspectives in rehabilitation, prevention, inclusion and nursing care.
Community Hub Creates a Dedicated Stage in Hall 7
The Community Hub by X Carstens and REHACARE will give the assistive technology and disability community a dedicated stage for all four trade fair days. Around 20 creators and influencers from the community will be present. They will read, discuss, tell stories, moderate, answer questions and meet with people who would normally follow them on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. The setup turns digital visibility into real-life encounters at the trade fair.
Community Creators Bring Everyday Expertise to the Program
The Community Hub programme will feature personal stories, talks, roundtables, readings, entertainment and Meet & Greet opportunities. Protagonists include actor, comedian and moderator Tan Caglar, author and creator Hülya Marquardt, and Wioletta Wyrwol, known as “The One-Armed Lioness”. According to the source, they represent different life journeys, experiences and topics within the community. Their participation positions people with impairments, chronic conditions and their relatives as experts in their own right.
“REHACARE is the platform where innovation, care and the human perspective come together. Especially voices from the community reveal what is ultimately at stake here: mobility, everyday routines, inclusion and an independent life,” says Hannes Niemann, Director REHACARE International.
REHACARE Report 2026 Examines Medical Aid Provision in Germany
On 23 September, REHACARE will present results from the REHACARE Report 2026 on the provision of medical aids in Germany. Under the guiding theme “Support System or Savings System?”, voices from the community, public, care and stakeholder associations will discuss what quality provision of medical aids has to deliver in everyday life. The media and community debate will be facilitated by Sabrina Lorenz, activist and podcaster. Panellists include André Dietz, actor and author, Moritz Brückner, para-athlete, speaker and community ambassador, Kirsten Abel, Secretary General of the health-policy initiative “Wir versorgen Deutschland”, and Barbara Kleinow, board member of BAG SELBSTHILFE.
AI Inclusion Debate Focuses on Women with Impairments
On Friday, Tanja Kollodzieyski, known as “Rollifraeulein” (Miss Wheely) on Instagram, will speak with Dr. Monika Rosenbaum from the “NetzwerkBüro Frauen und Mädchen mit Behinderung/chronischer Erkrankung NRW”. Their session is titled “Hey AI, make everything inclusive!”. The discussion will address the opportunities and limits of AI for women with impairments. It adds a technology-focused perspective to the trade fair’s broader independent living agenda.
Community Day Turns Networking into a Central Trade Fair Activity
The Community Day on Saturday, 26 September, will be facilitated by Moritz Brückner. It will present further community protagonists on stage, including Jana Sophie Gottert, Dennis Winkens, Brenda Meisel and Nika Sky. Nika Sky works as a model, content creator and Adaptive Fashion Advocate, and is described as one of the prominent voices of REHACARE and faces of social-media communication. She links personal experiences with questions of self-efficacy, technology and inclusion. On Community Day, encounter and networking will be a special focal point, allowing visitors to enter into dialogue with creators, ambassadors and people from the community.
A Trade Fair Model Where the Community Co-Shapes the Agenda
REHACARE 2026 makes clear that the community is not only the target group of the trade fair but also co-shapes it. It puts topics on stage, gives visibility, provides orientation and demonstrates how versatile independent, self-determined living is today. For companies, associations, care practitioners and specialist retailers, the event offers a setting to align products, services and care solutions with everyday realities. The trade fair runs from 23 to 26 September 2026 at Messe Düsseldorf.