Arche Tirol

About us

Arche Tirol is a small community for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities (core-members) and people without disabilities (assistants), trying to share life, creating a familiar atmosphere, and thus working together towards a more compassionate and just society. Core-members live together with employed assistants, trainees, and volunteers (and unpaid people, who want to support Arche Tirol). Arche Tirol has two houses, located in the two villages of Steinach and St. Jodok, a basal group and a workshop. Since December 2016 we are in our new home in Steinach.

Since 1992 we have been officially accepted by the government of Tyrol as a public institution and nursing place for people with disabilities. We are financed by the government. To a large amount, this money covers expenses (salaries, daily life, etc.). Furthermore, we rely on donations, too. With these we can make major and necessary repairs and fund various investments. The legal foundation of Arche Tirol is the association "Arche Tirol," consisting of members and an elected board.
The very beginning of L´Arche is located in France. In 1964, Jean Vanier, the founder of L´Arche, decided to take over responsibility of three men with intellectual disabilities and live with them in the first L´Arche-house in Trosly, a village north of Paris. More L´Arche communities have developed in different countries and within different religious and cultural environments. Today, L´Arche has 149 communities and 14 projects in 37 countries worldwide.
Arche Tirol has grown within the Roman Catholic tradition. However, Arche-communities are open to every religion and faith tradition. Arche Tirol has a good connection to other Arche communities in the world. All communities orientate themselves at the "Charta of L´Arche communities," which means to live the spirit of L´Arche. Hospitality, sharing and a modest way of living are very important.

Services:
• Living: You can live with us when you are an adult. That means the person must be at least 18 years old. The residents can stay with us all their lives. The house should be their home for the residents.
• Short-term care: The short-term care is for people with disabilities who live outside the Ark Tyrol. You can visit us for a certain time and stay with us. For example, they come to us for a weekend.
• Workshop: In the workshop, we look at what skills a resident has. We want to promote these skills. We also pay attention to what needs or wishes a resident has. In the workshop, the residents do various jobs. For example, they make candles or work with clay. We also cook together.
• Basal Group: In the Basal Group, we promote perception. We all can perceive the world through our senses. Our senses are seeing, tasting, feeling, hearing and smelling. The residents in the basal group learn to perceive themselves better and to feel their own body.
• Ark worldwide: There are ark communities around the world. It is important for the Ark Tyrol to connect with these Ark communities.

Gottfried Lamprecht is the Community Leader of the Ark Tyrol.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.