The End of My ESC Volunteering Chapter at ENIL

My six months as an ESC Volunteer for ENIL are sadly coming to an end.
In this article, I want to share what I’ve learned during this experience, how I’ve grown both as a professional and as a disabled person, and how I plan to use these lessons moving forward.

My ESC journey began from a deep need for change.
For the past few years, I had felt stuck in Greece, and this opportunity seemed like the perfect way to learn about independent living, gain advocacy tools that I could bring back home, and, last but not least, become more emancipated.

Looking back, I believe I achieved all of these goals during my time in Belgium.

When it comes to the fight for disability inclusion, I learned how crucial it is to strive for policy change.
Progress in this area is often slow and complex, but once positive results are achieved, they create a domino effect that can make the fight for equal rights a little easier for everyone who follows.

More specifically, I got to know the inner workings of EU policymaking, which often sets the tone for national disability laws. I also became familiar with one of the most important tools disability advocates use to push for change — the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

During my ESC, I was present at and covered several meetings and events aimed at promoting policies that facilitate independent living for disabled people across the EU. Seeing advocacy in action at this level was very motivating.

My time at ENIL was also the first time I had a Personal Assistant — and hopefully not the last.
While living in Athens, I never imagined what it would be like to have one or how beneficial it could be, since there was no way for me to access such support in Greece.

Now, having experienced it first-hand, I understand how central Personal Assistance is to the emancipation of disabled people. My personal assistance needs are not the highest, but even so, having a PA allowed me to worry less about surviving and focus more on truly living.

I also learned about the core principles of independent living, and the one that struck me most — aside from personal assistance — was the importance of deinstitutionalisation.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that institutions are a necessary evil, but that’s only because of a lack of knowledge, understanding and inclusion of Disabled People and DPOs in the decision-making process.

As part of ENIL’s communications department for the last six months, I gained valuable knowledge and skills that I will carry forward into my future disability advocacy work.

I learned  how to manage a website, write stronger articles and newsletters, design promotional campaigns, organise webinars, and create graphic content for events/social media, and more.

Through this experience, I developed a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge required to be an effective communications specialist — and I’m motivated to keep improving even after I leave Belgium.

Becoming more independent has been an important personal gain from my ESC experience.
It was the first time I lived completely on my own, and there was no better moment to take on that challenge than during this volunteering journey.
Having a Personal Assistant gave me the time and space to adjust, to experiment, and to figure out my own way of doing things — on my own terms.

As this chapter comes to a close, I feel empowered and inspired.
I am returning to Greece with a stronger sense of self, a deeper understanding of disability advocacy, and a renewed commitment to helping others experience the freedom and dignity of independent living.

Finally, I would like to thank all the ENIL staff for always being there to help me improve — and especially my supervisor, Michael, for not only giving me the tools and knowledge to strengthen my communication skills but also the freedom to express myself and create.