There has been little acknowledgement of disabled people’s rights, requirements, and policy needs during the campaigns, negotiations, and agreements that surround the UK’s exit from the EU. The referendum, the transition period, and the subsequent trade deals have not addressed the widespread concerns raised by disabled activists, their organisations, and scholars committed to improving disabled…
Which issues mostly affect your experience on public transport? We would like to hear from you! In the TRIPS project, ENIL is playing a central role in the design of a new index to assess the level of accessibility of urban transport services. This index will be called Mobility Divide Index (MDI) and it will…
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…
In Brussels and Budapest, 23 December 2020 – In 2019, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL and the Validity Foundation submitted two separate complaints against the Managing Authorities in Romania and Estonia, for using European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) to build new institutions for disabled people. After almost a year, the…
On 10 December, the Human Rights Day, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL published the first results of the Independent Living Survey. The aim of the online survey was to collect general information about access to Independent Living of disabled people across Europe, and detailed information about Personal Assistance schemes or systems. The survey,…
The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL, in cooperation with MEPs Marisa Matias and Jose Gusmao, are launching a new study to expose the use of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) to maintain the segregation of disabled people in the European Union. The aim of this study, commissioned by the European United…
Brussels, 3 December – To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL calls on Governments to stop delaying deinstitutionalisation reforms and start providing opportunities for independent living and being included in the community for all disabled people, as a matter of priority. Public funds, especially those…
For this year’s International Day of Disabled People, the Board members of the ENIL Youth Network have prepared the following messages: Fatma Bulić: “This year and all years to come, the ENIL Youth Network will work to build an inclusive society for people with disabilities, accessibility and sustainability, especially in building the world after the…
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,…
In May this year, the European Commission confirmed the adoption of a European Child Guarantee in the first quarter of 2021. According to the Roadmap on the new Child Guarantee, the initiative will contribute to implementing Principle 11 of the European Pillar of Social Rights on childcare and support to children, and will be one…
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…
Disclaimer: The European Network on Independent Living maintains their strong stance against segregated educational settings. The text below does not aim to advocate for special education, but instead to highlight the vulnerability of disabled children when they don’t have proper support in place, to transition into mainstream settings. On the evening of Friday 27th, at…
