Angela Wegscheider

Dr. Angela Wegscheider is a Research Associate and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Political Science and Social Policy within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at Johannes Kepler University Linz. She has held this position since 2011, following previous work as project staff and substitute at the same institute from 2003-2010. Beyond her research and teaching roles, she serves as the 1st Deputy Chair of the Works Council for Academic University Staff and holds leadership positions in the Public Service Union of Upper Austria and at the federal level.

Dr. Wegscheider's research focuses on Disability Studies, Disability History, Social Policy, and Health Policy, with particular attention to living situations of people with disabilities and implications for democracy and society. Her work employs both quantitative and qualitative social research methods to examine critical issues in disability rights and social inclusion.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on historical and contemporary disability rights movements, sheltered work services, deinstitutionalization processes, and the implementation of self-determination principles for people with disabilities. The research shows consistent thematic development from historical analyses to current policy challenges in disability inclusion.

• Gesundheitspreis der Stadt Linz (2005)
• Leopold-Kunschak-Wissenschaftspreis (2011)

Dr. Wegscheider actively supervises Master's theses and diploma theses on diverse disability-related topics, with recent work examining anti-LGBT climate, political inequality of indigenous women, housing for people with disabilities, and various aspects of disability policy implementation. Her teaching includes courses on social science text production and basic principles of social policy. She has led numerous research projects examining disability history, sheltered work, and policy frameworks, often with a focus on Upper Austria and Austria more broadly.