The aim of the project “Promoting Choice, Control and Participation for All Persons with Disabilities in Europe and Beyond – Choice4All” is to advance the right to live independently and being in the community of persons with disabilities in the European Union and neighbouring countries, in line with the European Disability Rights Strategy 2021 – 2030, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the European Social Rights Pillar and other relevant EU laws and policies. The project builds on the lived experience of members of the European Network on Independent Living – ENIL and their knowledge of how to turn the independent living principles into practical solutions that improve the everyday lives of persons with disabilities and promote their social inclusion.
The project will enable ENIL and its youth network to continue growing and developing, and improve its ability to address societal challenges that affect the ability of persons with disabilities to live included in society. Its activities seek to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities in policy and decision making, and take into consideration the challenges presented by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to tackling barriers, the project aims to promote the opportunities to address exclusion and segregation of persons with disabilities – from the growing availability of personal assistance schemes, the promise of digital and assistive technologies, the involvement of young people in tackling issues such as climate change and in human rights advocacy.
The project plays an important role in supporting the European Commission in implementing its new Disability Rights Strategy, taking into consideration that the right to independent living occupies a central position in that work. Among the activities to be implemented in the next four years are the Independent Living Survey, the Freedom Drive, a range of events focusing on Personal Assistance, the development of an online tool to support deinstitutionalisation reforms, and more. ENIL will be using a wide variety of communication tools and innovative techniques such as storytelling to build bridges between EU policies and the real lives of persons with disabilities in the Member States. Finally, this project will serve to ensure that ENIL becomes an organisation accessible to all and more inclusive of the diverse lives and experiences of persons with disabilities.
Implementation of Choice4All is based on a 4-year (2022 – 2025) Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) between ENIL and the European Commission, under the call CERV-2021-DISA-OG-FPA.
Contact: Ines Bulic Cojocariu, ines.bulic@enil.eu