Pedagogical practice is always an ambivalent and complex process, which is affected by various external conditions. The paper at hand will show what effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on living conditions of residents of closed residential facilities of the so-called disability system and the pedagogical practice within – even after the pandemic. The reference point is the study »Institutionalized living conditions in times of Corona«, in which 15 interviews with employees from different residential areas were conducted via topic interviews and evaluated using the methods of qualitative content analysis. The presentation of the results will show that the pandemic affirmed structural problems within these institutions, but at the same time disrupted existing routines. Finally, it will be discussed to what extent the pandemic can also – at least theoretically – be seen as an opportunity for inclusion and the (re)focusing on pedagogical practice within the institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]