Institutions for persons with disabilities Persons with disabilities under-represented in crisis management groups As early as April 2020, the Monitoring Committee of the Federal Government as well as the offices in the Laender that are entrusted with comparable tasks, the Austrian Disability Council, self-representation organisations and the NPM unanimously pointed out that it must be possible for persons with disabilities to participate in the COVID-19 crisis management groups set up by the Federal Government and the regional governments. If this is not the case, these advisory bodies will not have the expertise required to accurately estimate and balance the effects of measures on persons with disabilities. The request for real participation was only fulfilled hesitantly and only in some Laender. All of the NPM commissions were aware in the spring that the pandemic situation would be challenging for residential institutions and facilities – particularly in the first few weeks after the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Austria – where there was no “template” for the correct approach. It would have been all the more important to use the self-determination and the rights of persons with disabilities as the starting point for all considerations and actions. Some institutions and facilities were more successful at this than others. Great dedication of the care staff According to observations made by the commissions, the staff made remarkable achievements thanks to their extraordinary personal dedication during this unprecedented time. Confronted with a crisis situation scarcely imaginable and without preparation, the employees had to react quickly to changing circumstances, often improvise and expose themselves to an increased risk of infection after outbreaks in the residential institutions and facilities. Furthermore, they had to compensate for absenteeism due to quarantine directives. The NPM would like to express the highest regard and respect for all of the employees. It is undisputed that clear legal and practical rules for proportionate measures are necessary to overcome crisis situations. Neither the departments of the regional governments set up for facilities for persons with disabilities nor the health authorities approached the operator organisations to offer targetgroup support in residential homes and groups and discuss general conditions (infection protection, PPE supply, potential emergency care, quarantine measures). Diverse challenges The NPM already emphasised in its Report 2019 (pp. 93 et seq.) that persons with disabilities are exposed to an increased risk of violence due to their greater vulnerability. This was highlighted as the result of a research study as well as the many years of observations by the commissions. The risk most certainly did not decrease with the (mental and physical) challenges to the care situation during the pandemic. The NPM points out that the failures of recent years can have an even stronger impact during the pandemic. The NPM would thus like to emphasise once 85