How do you start writing about leaving a job which has allowed you to grow and explore, meet great people and develop a lasting passion for Independent Living? This was the question I asked myself when I started to write this article. Several versions later I decided that maybe it was best to just write…
Since the very beginning of my psychology studies, I always loved to look at the bright side of everything. I have the same approach when it comes to disability-related research – instead of emphasizing challenges and problems, I prefer to focus on individual strengths and opportunities. Before starting my PhD studies in Psychology at Vytautas…
What is the research project about? You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. This research project aims to explore the experiences of disabled children of being listened to and participating…
It is 10 years today – the 22nd January – that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) entered into force in the European Union. Or in simpler terms – it became law. We wanted to use this occasion to look back and briefly consider the impact of the Convention, from the perspective of independent living and ENIL as an organisation.
In Brussels, 20 January 2021 – The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL is deeply concerned about a vicious public campaign against a member of our Youth Network and a well-known human rights defender in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Ana Kotur-Erkić. Ms. Kotur-Erkić, a lawyer, has been the victim of hate speech and threats…
At the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL, we take the opportunity at the end of each year to take stock of our achievements, difficulties and whatever else that made the year gone by stand out. The past year, as nobody needs reminding, has been very different, and among those who were lucky to…
Oh boy, what a year 2020 was. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the whole planet, 2020 will be difficult to forget, and contrary to the general belief, young people were also among the ones very impacted (i.e. think about education, employment, freedom of movement, socializing, mental health issues etc). Add the disability factor to the…
The philosophy of Independent Living is that of living like everyone else – having control of one’s own life, having opportunities to make decisions that affect one’s life and being able to pursue activities of one’s own choosing, regardless of disability, with reference to the magnificent work of Mr Adolf Ratzka. Everyone lives, goes to…
In November, UN OHCHR announced that the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Shutter, will conduct an official visit to the European Union from 25 November 2020 – 29 January 2021. On this occasion, they asked interested individuals and organisation to provide their input on priority issues and assist him…
On 11 November, ENIL submitted a position paper to the European Commission’s roadmap to propose a new European Disability Strategy 2021-2030. ENIL highlighted 3 essential shifts which are crucial for a successful post 2020 European Disability Strategy (EDS): First, the shift from segregation to inclusion; Secondly, the shift from disabled subjects to disabled citizens; Finally,…
I would like to inform you that on July 7. 2020, the High Court in Podgorica approved the Judgment of the Basic Court in Podgorica, which established discrimination against me, Miroslava-Mima Ivanović perpetrated on April 15. 2018. by the Municipality of Kotor, the State Election Commission and the State of Montenegro, denying me the exercise…
After 5 years, it’s time for me to say goodbye as Office Manager at ENIL. Many things have happened since I started and I can only say it’s been great to get to meet so many friends and work with wonderful people. I want to thank everyone for being there when I needed them and…
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities made clear almost 15 years ago that placing people with disabilities in institutions is a violation of their human rights. Segregated and isolated from the rest of the world, residents are denied their rights to independent living, to inclusion in the community and to shape…
My academic career began in 2010 when I completed a BSc Psychology at Ulster University. My original intention was to train as a Clinical Psychologist, however my undergraduate degree introduced me to the realm of research. I quickly became fascinated with qualitative research methodologies particularly the ways in which we interpret the world around us…
The Threshold Association (or Kynnys ry in Finnish) is a cross-disability organization, which focuses on the basic and human rights of persons with disabilities. It was founded in Helsinki by Kalle Könkkölä and other students with disabilities in 1973. Nowadays the Threshold has offices in Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu Tampere and Turku. In addition to this,…
In its final report, the COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor (DRM) Coordinating Group calls for urgent action by States and the international community to halt the catastrophic failure to protect the lives, health and rights of persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report is entitled ‘Disability rights during the pandemic: A global report on…
In Brussels, 7 October 2020 – The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL welcomes the appointment of Prof. Gerard Quinn as the new UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, succeeding Catalina Devandas. Our organisation’s close cooperation with Prof. Quinn goes back at least 15 years, to Ireland, and we have…
Following on from a successful regional members’ meeting in Poland in 2019, ENIL hosted an online members’ meeting on Monday 14 September, with an accompanying webinar on “Independent Living for All” on Tuesday 15 September. The two-day event was well-attended, and questions and debates were lively. Personal Assistance was in the focus of the discussions,…
Since the elections on 9 August 2020, people in Belarus have been peacefully protesting, in demand of new, fair and free elections. The ENIL member in Belarus — the Office for the Rights of People with Disability (ORPD) — shared an Open Letter with us on the current situation in the country. The letter was initiated…
One month ago, I wrote ENIL’s submission for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, regarding the implementation of article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), on access to sports and leisure. My whole heart went into this assignment, because I am an athlete. It also…
