On 14 January, the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) presented the findings of its study visit on the (mis)use of EU funding to advance deinstitutionalisation in Bulgaria. The event was moderated by Ines Bulić Cojocariu, Director of ENIL.
The study visit was carried out jointly by ENIL and the Network of Independent Experts (NIE) from Bulgaria, in close cooperation with other disability rights activists. Its aim was to assess whether EU-funded services genuinely support the right to independent living in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
During the webinar, Rita Crespo Fernandez, the main author of the report “I’m Here for Life” presented the key findings from visits to small group homes and day-care centres. The monitoring team visited three small group homes and several day-care centres, including interviews with management, staff, residents, people with lived experience, and experts. Visual documentation was also collected during the study visit, with photographs taken by Michael Goossens (ENIL).
Rita explained that although small group homes have fewer residents and appear cleaner than former large institutions, institutional culture remains unchanged. Residents live under rigid daily regimes, with limited choice and control over their lives. While bedrooms were tidy and facilities were more modern, these surface-level improvements did not amount to independent living.
She highlighted that most residents in the small group homes that ENIL visited had been transferred from large institutions. Under Bulgarian legislation, residential settings with fewer than 14 residents are classified as small group homes (i.e. community-based services), which has shaped the implementation of deinstitutionalisation in practice. Former institutions have often been reorganised into several small group homes, resulting in the continuation of institutional living arrangements rather than a genuine transition to independent living.
The situation inside the group homes was described as particularly alarming. Activities were extremely limited and often child-like, with a strong emphasis on knitting, crafting, and drawing. While knitting may be culturally familiar in Bulgaria, it highlighted the very limited range of activities and the lack of real choice. Residents had little opportunity to pursue education, skills development, or personal interests, and some described their main hobbies as “drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes”.
Rita also raised serious human rights concerns, including routine transfers to psychiatric hospitals in crisis situations, suspected overmedication, and the absence of a trauma-informed approach. She stressed that institutionalisation itself is a traumatic experience, yet this is not recognised by service providers.
Mitko Nikolov, leader and disability rights activist of the Centre for Independent Living (CIL) Sofia, also spoke during the webinar. He confirmed that the findings reflect long-standing systemic problems in Bulgaria. He explained that while large institutions have been formally closed, the transition to small group homes has not led to real improvements in quality of life. On paper, these services appear successful, but in practice the same institutional culture and logic persist. He emphasised the urgent need for genuine community-based services and personal assistance instead of segregated care models.
Mitko stressed that people with disabilities need genuine community-based services and personal assistance, not systems that control their lives. He highlighted that many placements described as temporary become permanent, with people remaining in small group homes for years or even for life. Families often have no real alternatives, as community-based support remains underdeveloped and disability benefits are far below the cost of living
The webinar was closed by Ines Bulić Cojocariu, Director of ENIL, who thanked all contributors and highlighted the importance of continued joint advocacy to ensure that EU funding supports independent living rather than segregation.
