Personal Assistance

Ten characteristics of personal assistance that received the highest scores (given in brackets) in a recent survey done by the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL).

A month ago, ENIL asked its members, supporters and critics: WHAT IS GOOD PERSONAL ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE MADE OF?

Should personal assistance for disabled people be codified in a separate national law? Should the users receive direct payments instead of support in kind? Should assistance be provided irrespective of the type and degree of impairment?

Brussels, 4 December – The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on 3 December, is an opportunity to take stock of progress achieved towards the right to independent living for all. It is a day to celebrate, but also to protest, against the continued denial of basic human rights that allow disabled people to live dignified lives.

A training on Human Rights and Persons with Disabilities, under the framework of the Informal Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Seminar on Human Rights was designed and delivered by a team of ENIL trainers.

ENIL welcomes the recent adoption of the General comment No 5 on Article 19 of the UN CRPD on living independently and being included in the community. It is a key step forward in clarifying the States parties obligations under the Convention, with a potential to improve access to independent living.

Read more about the new research project of ENIL and about Teodor Mladenov who will lead it.

This article reveals that the right to personal assistance within Europe is under threat.

The Lisbon municipality has financed a pilot project for personal assistance in cooperation with the Independent Living Center of Lisbon.

In his response to ENIL’s call for EVS applications, Roland Benjamin, a 33-year-old disabled man from the UK, highlighted the important point that most support services are organised on a national level and as a consequence cannot be used when traveling, working or living in other (EU) countries.

Оn 14 June 2016, an article by Ciara Brennan1 , Rannveig Traustadottir1, James Rice2 and Peter Anderberg3 was published in the ‘Disability and Society’ journal, entitled “Negotiating independence, choice and autonomy: experiences of parents who coordinate personal assistance on behalf of their adult son or daughter”.

The researchers Ciara Brennan, Rannveig Traustadottir, Peter Andeberg and James Rice released this week their article “Are Cutbacks to Personal Assistance Violating Sweden’s Obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?”

In April 2016 a new collective contract was signed by unions in France, affecting the work of personal assistants for disabled people.

On Sunday, 20th March, 10 wheelchair users accompanied/supported by a team of personal assistants participated in the Urban Trail in Gent.

All disabled people, associations and concerned persons are invited to sign the Manifesto.

On Tuesday, 16th February strong and adamant Independent Living activists from the Centre for Independent Living in Firenze-Toscana (Italy) occupied the headquarters of the Regional Parliament protesting against the budget cuts implied by the state on independent living funds for disabled people.

Three years ago disabled people in Latvia received fantastic news – personal assistance (PA) legislation was to be introduced in Latvia. The legislation came into effect on 1st January 2013. In short, disabled people could apply for personal assistance funded through the national government and administrated by the local municipalities. It did not take long…

ENIL’s advisory panel member Raffaello Belli recently wrote an article as a reaction to the commonplace excuses of the authority figures in Italy when it comes to lack of funding for personal assistance. ENIL is perseveringly working in the area and next week a report on the situation of the personal assistance in Europe will be published.

In Valencia on December 15, 2015 ENIL with partners hosted a successful event on Personal Assistance as a tool for full participation in society and for leaving institutions behind.

On the day after the celebrations ENIL makes an overview of the numerous and exciting events that happened throughout Europe. The list of events below is by no means exhaustive, it only gives a flavour of the tremendous excitement that could be felt thanks to all independent living and human rights activist!