How can we make a future for Independent Living?
To mark the Independent Living Day 2025, ENIL would like to invite you to a film screening and an evening reception. We will use this occasion to reflect on the state of Independent Living and what action we must take going forward.
Where: UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe, Boulevard du Régent 37 – 40, 1000 Brussels
When: 5th of May, 17:00 – 19:30
To register for the event, click here.
Independent Living is a right guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Convention has been ratified by the European Union and all EU Member States.
Despite this, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is warning countries about insufficient progress when it comes to Article 19 CRPD. There are also worrying signs of regression. For example, the Brussels region has decided to abolish its personal budget scheme (budget assistance personelle, BAP), which enabled disabled people to employ personal assistants.
Sweden continues to be a role model in personal assistance and deinstitutionalisation. However, even there, access to person-centred services is no longer guaranteed.
To kick-start the discussion on the state of Independent Living in Europe, we will screen the documentary “Struggle to have a life – Disability Politics in Sweden”, filmed by director Caroline Ardbo. The film focuses on the situation of personal assistance in Sweden in the past decade.
Following the screening, speakers representing key stakeholders will reflect on the documentary and what we can do to promote better access to independent living and personal assistance.
Programme of our Film Screening and Evening Reception
| 17:00- 17:10 | Welcome Nadia Hadad, Co-Chair of ENIL |
| 17:10 – 18:10 | Screening of the documentary Struggle to have a life – Disability Politics in Sweden Directed by Caroline Ardbo |
Reflections on the state Independent Living and how to move forward by disabled people and representatives of NGOs | |
18:10 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:50 19:20 19:30 | Jonas Franksson, Chairman of STIL, the Founders of Independent Living in Sweden (online) Sonja Desimpel Collective BAP.Brussels Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU (TBC) Ana Carla Pereira, Director DG JUST, Equality and Non-discrimination (TBC) Questions from the audience Closing of the event Informal discussion with light food and drinks |
Joint the Protest
Before the start of the reception at 17:00, we would like to invite you to join us and our members,the collective BAP.Brussels,in protesting against the abolishment of the personal assistance budget by the Brussels region!
Where: Carrefour de l’Europe/Europakruispunt
When: 5th of May, Gathering from 13:30, Demonstration from 14.00 to 15:30.