Unfortunately Professor Colin Barnes resigned from the ENIL board finding it difficult to juggle all his engagements with retirement on the way. The existing board following ENIL’s constitution voted unanimously to fill the vacant spot with Germano Tosi from Turin, Italy. Germano has been a member of ENIL since 2010. Other current positions are:
- Co-administrator, creator and webmaster (as a volunteer ) in info-handicap office at the Townhall of Carmagnola (Turin) www.handicarmagnola.it , started in 2001
- Member and consultant in the Coordinamento Diversabilità at the Townhall of Carmagnola (general issues about disability, campaigns for promoting rights and equal choices for pwd, personal assistance programs access, workshop programs with the local social services and public administration, schools and job office), since 1999
- President and legal representative of ENIL Italia (European Network on Independent Living) www.enil.it , since 2011
- Vice-president and webmaster of Associazione Consequor Onlus per la Vita Indipendente www.consequor.it , since 2005
- Representative ENIL Italia Member on the National Observatory of Person with disabilities (Group 3: Independent Living, Autonomy and Empowerment of Pwd’s
With a background in industrial management Germano is an asset to the existing board.
I was born in Vidin, Bulgaria in 1989. I graduated from the Natural Sciences and Maths high-school in the town and am now studying Law at New Bulgarian University Sofia. I’m an active fighter for the rights of persons with disabilities in Bulgaria. I’ve represented many cases before the Bulgarian Protection Against Discrimination Commission. These have mostly been in relation to accessibility and of course there were some larger cases which received a great deal of public attention. I’m involved in the CIL Sofia network and have been very active in events organised by the Centre. I have dealt with business for practically the of my whole life– I’m in the metal recycling industry. I’m engaged and I adore my whole family.
Last 18th november 2011, there was a conference under the title “Independent Living, a Life Empowerment Strategy”, it took place in the Social Education Faculty of the Valencia University.
Jamie Bolling – Executive Director of ENIL visited the Secretariat in October. The main event was a conference on Independent Living and Human Rights organized by Carmen Najera– the Spanish Coordinator. Jamie spoke on the Freedom Drive and follow-up through meetings with MEPs.
Meetings were organized between IL members and other actors including architects and politicians to discuss IL indicators. Questions on planning of inclusive housing projects were discussed as well as the importance of awareness raising of politicians and the influence of political party programs. 
The purpose of the mission was to contribute to the possible economical and employment growth of the region of San Sebastian by promoting the AT sector particularly through innovation, internationalization and through the introduction of new products and services. Interest in supported employment and Independent Living was also expressed. For this purpose, a visit to Sweden was decided upon, being one of the most developed countries in the field of AT and in disability services.
On 15 September, the fifth edition of the Freedom Drive was held in Strasbourg. The Freedom Drive is a march for freedom organised every two years by ENIL, which this year saw over two hundred people with disabilities from 20 countries marching from Place de la Republic to the European Parliament.
