What is PAW?
Personal Assistance Watch – PAW is a new space run by the European Network on Independent Living to discuss access to Personal Assistance across Europe. PAW is a follow up to PAUC – Personal Assistance Users’ Club, which was active in 2022 and 2023, and was open to disabled people with Personal Assistance.
Who is PAW for?
PAW welcomes anyone interested in Personal Assistance – disabled people who have PA or would like to have it, Centers for Independent Living, Disabled People’s Organisations, academics, service providers and others.
How will PAW work?
PAW will consist of monthly meetings, moderated by ENIL member Alessandra Grotta (Italy/Sweden), with the support of ENIL Secretariat. Each meeting will focus on a specific issue, with time set aside at the end for free discussion about anything the participants would like to ask or discuss.
Topics will include, though will not be limited to:
- Key components of Personal Assistance legislation
- Recruiting PAs – how to make it easier?
- Assessment – how to make sure every person gets the right amount of PA
- Training – who should be trained and by whom?
- Moving to another country as a PA user
- The role of families
- Working conditions of PAs
- Centers for Independent Living and user cooperatives
- Other topics, depending on what the participants would like to know about
How often will PAW meet?
PAW meetings will take place throughout 2024, during the first Thursday each month, from 17:00 – 18:30.
The next meeting will take place on:
- Sept, Thu 5th: legal protection of the right to personal assistance and independent living
- Oct, Thu 3rd: personal assistance for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities
- Nov, Thu 7th: Centers for Independent Living and how they work in different countries
- Dec, Thu 5th: peer support and community building activities
How can you join?
To register for PAW (meetings from September to December), please click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqf-qupjgtGdwRCNiKhKA5_zsC89vg6awH#/registration