The LITI-GATE project is a coalition of six organizations dedicated to safeguarding the rights of individuals with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities across the European Union.
Our mission is simple: to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same rights as everyone else. Through strategic litigation at the European Court, we aim to hold nations accountable for upholding these rights and advocate for fair legal protections.
Which organisations work on the project?
- Validity Alapitvany- Kozpont A Mentalis Serulek Jogaiert (Validity) from Hungary
- European Network On Independent Living Brussels Office (ENIL) from Belgium
- Fundatia Centrul De Resurse Juridice (CLR/CRJ) from Romania
- Forum Pro Lidska Prava, ZS (FORUM) from Czech Republic
- Kera Foundation (KERA) from Bulgaria
- Victim Support Europe AISBL (VSE) from Belgium
What is the purpose of the project?
- The main goal of LITI-GATE is that people with disabilities have the same rights in the European Union as everybody else.
- A right is something that you are allowed to do or have, just because you’re a person.
- National laws must guarantee rights for people with disabilities.
- We will use “strategic litigation” to defend rights at the European Court.
- When a right is not respected, we need a lawyer.
- A lawyer is a legal expert that helps people to defend their rights.
- In “strategic litigation”, a lawyer can ask the European Court for help.
- The European Court can ask the country to change the national law to be fair so that the rights of people with disabilities are respected.
- Courts and rights are difficult to understand.
- We want to make accessible documents to help people with disabilities defend their rights in Court.
How will LITI-GATE achieve its goal?
LITI-GATE will achieve its goal by doing four main tasks:
- We will do research. We will hear about the experiences of people with disabilities and lawyers in Courts.
- We will create an accessible guide and materials for people with disabilities. This guide will help People with disabilities to:
– Access to justice
– Access to support services to understand what happened in Court. - We will offer training for lawyers, prosecutors and judges so they know the needs of people with disabilities.
- We will do activities to make people aware of the importance of defending the rights of people with disabilities.
How long is the LITI-GATE project?
The LITI-GATE project is two years long, from September 2023 to June 2025.
Who finances the LITI-GATE project?
The European Education and Culture Executive agency of the European Commission.
How can I participate?
- You can tell us about your experience in Court.
- We will help you during the interview.
- We will provide support so you can participate.