Oliver Kestel

Prof. Dr. Oliver Kestel is a Professor of Law and Social Work at the Faculty of Engineering and Health at HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, with a specific focus on social law, particularly the law on participation and rehabilitation of disabled people (SGB IX) and social long-term care insurance (SGB XI). Since February 2011, he has held his professorship at the institution, and since April 2025, he serves as the Dean for Strategic Development and Examination Law at the Faculty of Engineering and Health/Göttingen Health Campus. His academic work is closely connected to the Göttingen Health Campus, a collaboration between HAWK and the University Medical Center Göttingen, where he teaches legal components in the midwifery bachelor's program.

Prof. Kestel completed his law studies at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main (1991-1996) and earned his doctorate from the University of Erfurt in 2010 with a dissertation on delinquent behavior in people with intellectual disabilities. His professional background includes extensive legal practice as a lawyer specializing in criminal law, social law, and guardianship law (1999-2011), as well as administrative roles in facilities serving people with intellectual disabilities.

Professor Kestel's research focuses primarily on social law with particular emphasis on disability rights, inclusion policies, and legal frameworks for vulnerable populations. His expertise spans multiple areas including the law on participation and rehabilitation of disabled people (SGB IX), social long-term care insurance (SGB XI), and the legal aspects of midwifery practice. He has made significant contributions to understanding the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in German law, particularly through his work on the Federal Participation Act (BTHG). His research consistently addresses critical issues such as sexual self-determination for people with disabilities, pain management for individuals with complex disabilities, and vocational integration of people with disabilities, bridging legal theory with practical social work applications.

His publication record demonstrates a strong focus on evolving legal frameworks related to disability rights and social services, with recent work showing increasing attention to specialized areas like midwifery law. Throughout his career, Kestel has maintained a consistent focus on translating complex legal concepts into practical guidance for professionals working with vulnerable populations, with particular attention to the intersection of law, social work, and healthcare provision.

Prof. Kestel has been actively involved in academic self-administration, serving on faculty councils and examination committees from 2012 until the present. He was a member of the board of the German Interdisciplinary Society for the Promotion of Research for People with Intellectual Disabilities e.V. (DIFGB) from 2011 to 2017 and provided scientific supervision for the SAPHIR project on workplace inclusion from 2015 to 2018.

His teaching experience spans multiple institutions including the University of Erfurt (1999-2012), Johann Wolfgang Goethe University (2003-2012), Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (2008-2009), and Merseburg University of Applied Sciences (2009-2011), where he taught courses on youth law, rehabilitation law, and sexuality and law for people with disabilities. He regularly presents at conferences on disability law topics, with particular focus on the legal implications of the Federal Participation Act and sexual rights of people with disabilities.