Six Members of the Icelandic Parliament were overheard making sexist and ableist comments about a number of prominent women in a bar. This is inexcusable hate speech and we call for their immediate resignation. We, the European Disability Forum (EDF), the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) and the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) are outraged…
Brussels, 3 December – This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is celebrating all disabled people who are using this day to demand their rights. One of these is Eduardo Jorge in Portugal, who left the nursing home to camp out in front of the Portuguese Assembly, while…
It is normal to say that we are still far from Sweden, but we are already very close to Sweden in some areas. At least in Alytus, Lithuania and at least regarding personal assistance services. Is it hard to believe? It is possible, when you want and try to connect the community to a common…
Fifteen years after the first Independent Living Congress in Tenerife, Spain (2003), it was time to reflect on the experience of over 15 years of work – the successes and the mistakes – and the effect these changes have had on people’s lives. ENIL was pleased to be able to support the Congress, which was…
This week, ENIL was contacted by Eduardo Jorge, a disabled activist from Portugal, who asked us to share information about his protest in front of the Portuguese Assembly on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on 3 December. Eduardo lives in a nursing home and decided to protest in order to…
On 22 – 23 November, the Albanian Disability Rights Federation organised a conference entitled “Translating generalities of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into tangible actions – Strengthening networks and advocacy”. The event was organised in cooperation with the European Disability Forum and UNICEF, as part of a project they have been…
On November 8, Centre LIVING UPRIGHT (CLU) brought almost all the people who contributed to the personal assistance service in Novi Sad together in order to discuss its outcomes. Unfortunately, personal assistance in Novi Sad is still a project-based service, funded through the lottery funds, with the amount which cannot be predicted until the end…
Month by month, the 2019 Freedom Drive is approaching (let us remind you that the final dates are 1st – 3rd October 2019). We advise those of you that are considering to come and join us, in the celebration of our 30th birthday among others, to start already planning your trip. One of the most…
Discriminatory laws and policies still force disabled people to live apart, use special services, live in segregated institutions. We want this to end with the next elections. In 2018, thousands of disabled people across Europe are still hidden away from society. Contrary to promises, European funds still promote segregation in some Member States, as shown…
According to the OHCHR, General comments are a treaty body’s interpretation of the provisions of its respective human rights treaty provisions and thematic issues. As such, the purpose of a General comment is to interpret and clarify substantive provisions, not only with regard to the reporting duties of State parties but also when it comes to…
The second annual meeting of the Disability High Level Group took place in Brussels on the 25th October 2018. Organised by the Disability Unit at DG Employment, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Member States (from the Ministries or permanent representations in Brussels) and EU level NGOs involved in promoting the rights of…
With less than one year until the 2019 Freedom Drive, ENIL is working hard on getting everything ready for the big event. The final dates are 1st – 3rd October 2019, so please mark these in your calendars, if you haven’t already. Freedom Drive schedule We are pleased to confirm that we will have a…
ENIL’s “EU Funds for Our Rights” Campaign continues with its activities of looking into the use of EU Funds for Independent Living. This month, on 1st – 2nd October, our Campaign Coordinator Natasa Kokic spoke at the training “Disability-related Financial Instruments in light of EU Law and the UNCRPD”, organised by the European Academy of…
Veronika Kallandar, an active member of the Swedish left party and the Swedish Independent Living movement, left her wheel prints and voice echoing in the European Parliament this month, when she spoke on Human Rights of disabled people and the right to personal assistance for all disabled citizens in Europe. The event, titled “Human Rights:…
The European Pillar of Social Rights was presented as a compass to make EU policy more social. However, close to a year after its adoption, it seems that instead, the Social Pillar became more economical. On 17th November 2017, the European Commission, European Parliament and all Member States ‘proclaimed’ the European Pillar of Social Rights…
Between the 25th and 27th of September, Nadia Hadad (Board member) and Zara Todd (Senior Advisor) attended the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s Fundamental Rights Forum in Vienna. Both Nadia and Zara are members of the EU FRA’s Fundamental Rights Platform Advisory Panel. The Forum bought together over 650 human rights champions from civil society, business,…
Valencia and Brussels, 24th October 2018 – Twelve years ago, Spain ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Despite this, people with disabilities continue to be placed in newly built institutions and many do not have control over their lives. A joint effort is needed to counter efforts by the Government,…
(Brussels, October 10, 2018) – Croatia’s government should end the confinement of children and adults with disabilities in institutions, five disabled people’s and human rights organizations said today in a letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Despite some initial progress, the process of moving people out of institutions and into community-based living has stalled, the…
On 29 and 30 May, the European Commission published its proposals for the European Social Fund+ (ESF+), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund, for the new programming period 2021 – 2027. The two legislative proposals, as well as the Common Provisions Regulation, will be negotiated with the European Parliament and…
On 25 – 26 October, the Spanish Federation of Independent Living (FEVI), in cooperation with ENIL, is organising the 2nd Congress on Independent Living. It will be held in Valencia, in English and Spanish, and broadcast online on the Congress website. This article provides some background to the conference, with information about the Independent Living…
