In Brussels, 5 May 2022 – On the occasion of the 9th Edition of the Independent Living Day on the 5th of May, the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) calls on the EU to ensure the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). The European Network…
This spring I had a wonderful opportunity to participate and represent ENIL together with my colleagues Agnes Sarlota Fazekas and Kamil Goungor in Forum on the Present and Future of citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe, which took place in beautiful Turin, in Italy. The Forum lasted from the 11th to 13th of April,…
Disability and Social Protection Social protection systems are supposed to enable us to live full, independent lives but are ill-equipped to support the disabled. Which changes do we need for social protection that supports independent living? The European Union advises member states on the design and operation of social protection schemes. To inform this process,…
In France, the 2005 law gave us, among other things, the right to publicly-funded Personal Assistance. After filing a request to the local agency responsible for disabled people, we are allocated a number of personal assistance hours per day. The local agency only gives us funding based on an hourly rate, and we are responsible for…
Here are 4 events which will take place on May 5th: 1. Young Disabled Leaders and the Importance of Being Involved in the Decision Making Process Organised by the ENIL Youth Network Date: May 5th 2022, 10:00 – 11:30 CEST Registration: here Accessibility: English captioning and International sign language 2. Children with disabilities from…
As we all know from our daily lives, as disabled people we face a multitude of societal barriers that severely hamper our right to independent living and equal participation in society. In too many cases, we have no independent living at all. In January 2011, the European Union committed to addressing these barriers when it…
Get Ready for the 9th Edition of the Independent Living Day! In 2014, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL celebrated 25 years of existence. To commemorate this event and to celebrate our growing network, the ENIL Board decided to declare May 5th as the European Day on Independent Living. This day can be…
At the beginning of March 2022, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the new European Care Strategy. This article explains the main points set out in ENIL’s response to this consultation. A new initiative on long-term care was first mentioned in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan in March 2021. It…
Postsocialist Care – Violence – Paternalism The belated deinstitutionalization in post-communist societies is part of postsocialist care-violence-paternalism, economic scarcity, fear of impoverishment and a transgenerational aversion towards disabled people. In Slovenia alone, more than 22.000 children and adults experience today spatial segregation, loss of choices, and long-term institutionalization. Taking a look into history, the belated…
What is personal assistance and how to make it a reality in Turkey? These were some of the key questions addressed during the two-day roundtable for disabled people and supporters, which took place in Ankara at the end of February 2022. The event was part of the PAKT project, implemented in partnership between ENIL and…
The Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability (MFOPD) is Malta’s national umbrella organisation, and a member of ENIL. It is a voluntary non-governmental organisation with 34 member organisations all working with and for persons with disabilities. MFOPD was founded in 1970. In 2020, MFOPD had planned various commemorative events to celebrate its 50th anniversary,…
We’ve gathered for you, some fundraisers to support disabled people in Ukraine. Here are 4 ways to help: Appeal by Fight for Right https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disabled-ukrainians?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter Inclusion Europe (targeting people with intellectual disabilities and families; all funds to go directly to Ukraine) https://www.inclusion-europe.eu/help-ukraine/ Through the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities Organisation: National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities…
The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL and the ENIL Youth Network are extremely concerned about the situation of disabled people during the ongoing and devastating war in Ukraine, including the fate of the tens of thousands disabled children and adults in institutional care facilities. We are also concerned that the war will result…
The European Union is the biggest development and humanitarian aid donor in the world. It is also the only regional organisation to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). As such, it is in a perfect position to address the ongoing social exclusion and segregation of children, adults and…
I have been disabled for almost 20 years. When my health deteriorated to the point that I needed support for my basic needs, I started independent living activism. At that time, I found out there was no proper service for me. It was quite a shocking revelation, especially since I used to work in the…
In seven months, from the 26th – 28th September, we will meet in Brussels for ENIL’s Freedom Drive. The Freedom Drive was held every two years since 2003 and last year was the first time that was postponed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are happy that the situation seems to be improving, so we…
Personal assistance is one of the key tools of the independent living movement. Yet, personal assistance is still not widespread in many countries and there is a general lack of knowledge on the job, which is often mixed up with care professions. As a consequence, many people struggle with the nature of the relationship between…
On 14 February 2022, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL submitted its second Shadow Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the European Union (EU) to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The purpose of this report is to analyse…
At the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL, we have had a busy start of the new year, as we begin implementing our Strategic Plan for 2022 – 2025. Many of you have contributed to the consultation last year, so hope that you will find the activities relevant to what is happening in your…
In this article, one of the founders of ENIL, John Evans, reflects on the significance of the International Day of Disabled People (IDDP) and the changes we have witnessed in the last 20 years. As one of the pioneers of Independent Living in the United Kingdom, John reflects on the ups and downs of disabled…
