of a deaf relay centre; as of the end of the year, the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology had not yet received an analysis of the results. The results and experiences gained during this pilot operation will be the basis for possibly issuing a directive. The AOB welcomes these first steps towards barrier-free telecommunications services and will continue to observe the progress being made. Assistive technologies and supported communications – as the foundation of a self-determined life and full and equal participation in society – are human rights. They must be developed, offered and made widely available in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Individual case: VA-BD-VIN/0060-A/1/2012 Increased family allowance granted for metabolic disorders for the first time Due to an amendment of the Assessment Ordinance of the Employment of Disabled Persons Act, the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria was granted the same status as celiac disease. As a result, receipt of an increased family allowance in comparable areas of life is guaranteed for all persons affected. The Annual Report 2011 described the case of a five-month-old boy who is suffering from the metabolic disorder PKU. This requires a life- Dramatic effects on lifestyle long low-phenylalanine diet. This is a diet that uses a protein substitute made from specially prepared compounds that contain all protein building blocks with the exception of phenylalanine. The strict adherence to the diet means a major psychological and social burden for the parents of children suffering from PKU. Every intake of food must be precisely planned in advance. Although in the opinion of many experts, PKU has even more dramatic effects on the lifestyle of the person affected than celiac disease, up to now it was given a low level of disability of only 30% (Assessment Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, Federal Law Gazette [BGBl.] II No. 261/2010, Item 09.03.01). The AOB considered this as objectively unjustified. 69