News

The COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor Coordinating Group express their alarm about increasing police violence against persons with disabilities in the context of the pandemic, and are calling on governments around the world to take urgent steps to prevent acts of brutality.  Early in the COVID-19 global pandemic, the global community and persons with disabilities highlighted…

Brussels, July 31, 2020 – Serbia’s government should collect and make public the data on Covid-19 infections and deaths inside institutions for people with disabilities, six organizations for people with disabilities and human rights groups said today in a letter to Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. Understanding the impact of Covid-19 on people in institutions is…

CLE Autistes is a major autistic-led group of French autistic people. They advocate for neurodiversity, acceptance, disability rights and independent living for autistic people. CLE Autistes notes that the French Disability Model is based on institutions for disabled people. From schooling to employment, disabled people are therefore rarely directed towards quality community services, that would…

My name is Ciara Brennan. I am from Dublin, Ireland. For more than a decade, I have worked as a disability researcher in Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Currently, I am a research and advocacy consultant for the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM). DRM is collecting data from around the world in order to measure…

On 8th of July 2020, the European Commission held an online Strategic Dialogue meeting to discuss a “Digital Education Action Plan”. On behalf of the Commission, Georgi Dimitrov, Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and EIT, and Deirdre Hodson, Member of the Digital Education team highlighted the main challenges for a European Digital Education plan, and…

The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL is deeply concerned about the treatment of protesters and bystanders by the Serbian police during the ongoing protests across the country. Specifically, we urge the Serbian authorities to undertake a thorough investigation and bring to justice the perpetrators of police brutality, on 8th July 2020 in Novi…

Brussels and Budapest, 23 July 2020 – Two senior United Nations (UN) experts have expressed concern about numerous instances of EU funding being used to finance the maintenance and expansion of institutions for persons with disabilities across the continent, in violation of international human rights law. UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with…

On 20 April 2020, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) launched an international survey to monitor state measures concerning persons with disabilities  amid  the  pandemic. The initial  analysis of the ongoing global survey has revealed grave and systemic violations of fundamental freedoms and human rights of persons with disabilities detained in large- and small-scale institutions, which have…

In Brussels, Sofia and Budapest, 17 July 2020 – In high-level communications issued on 11 March 2020, Mr. Dainius Pūras, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, has called on the Government of Bulgaria and the European Commission “to immediately stop the…

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is looking for a 5 – 7 months European Solidarity Corps volunteer, with a starting date in May or June 2021. As a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteer, you will work in the ENIL Brussels office and gain experience in advocating for changes in European laws and policies,…

Vienna and Brussels, 8 July 2020 – 7.5 million Euros of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) have been used in Upper Austria to build institutions and sheltered employment facilities for disabled people. The investment went ahead despite Austria’s and the European Union’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons…

On 18 June, the European Parliament adopted a progressive Resolution for a new European Disability Strategy post 2020 (further referred to as ‘the Resolution’).  ENIL is pleased to see strong emphasis on Independent Living throughout the document. This is particularly visible in three points: deinstitutionalisation with access to services, personal assistance and freedom of movement….

On 11 June, ENIL, Validity Foundation and Disability Rights International organised a webinar “Safety through Inclusion: the Case for Emergency Deinstitutionalisation*”. The webinar was a call to action to ensure that disabled people can leave institutions as a matter of priority, in order to prevent further deaths from COVID-19 and to accelerate access to living…

The European Network on Independent Living is launching its first Independent Living Survey, with the aim of getting a better picture of access to Independent Living in Europe. Responses will be analysed and published in December 2020. The Independent Living Survey should be completed by disabled people, DPOs or NGOs familiar with access to Independent…

My experience of disability was shaped, initially, by my personal experience of impairment. Before the introduction to disability politics, my overall perspective was one rooted in the individual model of disability, wrapped in a tragedy narrative. I was ashamed of identifying as a disabled person, professionals and practitioners encouraged me to be passive and dependent,…

Last month, I was one of the guest speakers in the webinar ’Impact of COVID-19 on mental health: After the crisis’. It was organized by our member Euro Youth Mental Health (EYMH), and broadcast on Facebook live, as part of the European Youth Event 2020. This session was also a follow-up on last year’s study…

It was close to +35 degrees on the 25th of June and there was no shade to take shelter in front of the Palais de Justice law courts of the busy city of Lyon. At noon, as the first protesters unfolded their banners, the barristers, judges, clerks and litigants had just started to leave the…

My name is Elvira Popa and I have been a wheelchair user for many years, living in Râmnicu-Vâlcea, Romania. Life has been very harsh most of the time and here I am telling  one of those episodes when I was kicked down to the ground and left alone to find my way back. 1.The assault The…

This overview provides information about the living situation of disabled people in the European Union during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on the data collected by the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) and the European Disability Forum (EDF), until 15 May 2020. The personal experiences that are part of this overview have been…

Since 20 April 2020, through a global survey, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) has been gathering data to conduct rapid independent monitoring of state measures concerning persons with disabilities in the context of the pandemic. Today, the initiative reaches a new milestone with the launch of the COVID-19 DRM Dashboard that allows the public…