Proud, Strong and Visible
European Network on Independent Living
ENIL is a user-led network of disabled people, with members throughout Europe. Our mission is to advocate for Independent Living values, principles and practices: provision of personal assistance and other community supports and services, a barrier-free environment and adequate technical aids, together making full citizenship of disabled people possible.
About our organisation
ENIL is a network based on solidarity and peer support
ENIL is a forum for all disabled people, Independent Living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of Independent Living. ENIL represents the disability movement for human rights and social inclusion, based on solidarity, peer support, deinstitutionalisation, democracy, self-representation, cross-disability and self-determination. Our vision is of Europe where all disabled people are able to exercise choice and control over their lives, on an equal level with others; where they are valued members of the community and can enjoy all of their human rights, as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
ENIL provides a platform for grassroots activists and organisations
ENIL works to strengthen the empowerment of disabled people, through providing resources for peer support and peer-to-peer training. ENIL enhances the European disability sector by providing an arena for the sharing of disabled people’s experience of services and by providing expertise on independent living. Our Youth Network brings together young people, making their voice heard in the independent living movement.
Stopping the use of EU funds to support institutionalisation and segregation
An isolated interpretation of the current legal framework as well as reactive enforcement activities by the European Commission enable to continued investment of EU …
Independent Living Stopped in its Tracks in the EU and Turkey
In June ENIL and the Turkish Association of Women with Disabilities presented the results of the PAKT projects which compared independent living in Turkey …
ENIL Launches 2021 Annual Report
The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL is pleased to launch its 2021 Annual Report. This report covers ENIL’s activities between 1 January …
Find out about Independent Living in your country
The Independent Living survey was launched in 2020, to find about the state of independent living around Europe. Its results are updated regularly and shared with policy and decision makers at the European level.
07/07/2022 – 08/07/2022
Regional Members’ Meeting – Central and Eastern EuropeThis meeting will bring together members of ENIL from Central and Eastern Europe.
26/09/2022 – 28/09/2022
Freedom DriveFrom the 26th – 28th September, ENIL will hold its 10th Freedom Drive in Brussels.
