Welcome to the European Network on Independent Living
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a European wide network of disabled people. It represents a forum intended for all disabled people, independent living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of independent living and the independent living movement.
Below is a selection of our news, you will find more news, our newsletter, e-library and e-training material in the "resources " section on the left.
You can also subscribe to all our news feed by rss or subscribe only to news on front-page.
Signature Campaign
Thursday, 03 December 2009 Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 December 2009 )
ENIL and ECCL are launching the signature campaign on de-institutionalisation “Free Our People Now!” on 3 December 09.
Across Europe, thousands of disabled people still spend their lives inappropriately and unjustifiably segregated from society. Millions of people with disabilities have no access to quality alternatives to residential institutional care.
3rd December - Events on the International Day of Persons with Disability
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 December 2009 )On 3 December 2009, ENIL and our friends and members organise and attend events to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disability. Below, you will find an overview of these events.
Brussels, Belgium
The conferences marking the European Day of People with Disabilities are part of the EU wider efforts to promote the mainstreaming of disability issues in line with EU Disability Action Plan 2003 - 2010.
The European Commission in cooperation with the European Disability Forum is organizing a Conference on "Creating Conditions for Independent Living".
On December 3rd there will be presentations on themes such as "New Strategies at the start of the new decade, what's in it for disability"; "Economic Autonomy"; "Community Based Services"; "Renewed Commitment from the European Parliament".
On December 4th the theme will be "Tools for Independence, the role of assistive technology"; there will be a debate and conclusions drawn. The speakers among others will be Commissioner Špidla, Mr. Johan ten Geuzendam and Mr. John Evans who will be representing ENIL/ECCL.
ENIL will be represented by Mrs. Bente Skansgård President of the Board; Mrs. Kapka Panayotova, Board Member; Mrs. Jamie Bolling, Executive Director and Mr. John Evans, Board Member will be present at the conference.
press release: Herman van Rompuy to be first EU President
Friday, 20 November 2009
European leaders have appointed Herman von Rompuy of Belgium as their first ever President of the Council of the European Union. The former 6-month rotating system of presidencies will be abandoned with the appointment of the new permanent president.
Herman van Rompuy is known in Belgium as a mediator and a diffuser of differences. In Europe, people with a disability encounter differences in treatment every day. Some can live an independent life with personal assistance, some cannot. Some European countries ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, some did not ratify. Upon congratulating Mr van Rompuy on his appointment, ENIL is calling on the new EU President to stop this difference. Stop segregation, Human Rights for all, personal assistance for all. ENIL wrote a letter to Mr von Romuy, asking him to give European citizens with disability a voice.
After being appointed, Mr van Rompuy said that he sees his role as facilitating cohesion and consensus. ENIL hopes to see this cohesion in a unified way of European countries toward the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.
In September 2009, ENIL met with the President of the EU Parliament Jerzy Buzek to hand over eight demands for equal rights for all disabled European citizens. These demands were now also handed over to Herman van Romuy, along with the wish for their swift realization in the European Union.
8 ENIL demands:
http://www.enil.eu/enil/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=239
ENIL letter to Herman van Romuy:
http://www.enil.eu/elib/app/webroot/files/pr_letter_vRompuy.pdf
press release: EU Equality Summit 11/09
Friday, 13 November 2009 Last Updated ( Friday, 13 November 2009 )The Swedish Presidency of the EU is hosting the third Equality Summit to be held on 16–17 November.
ENIL has expectations from this meeting! Discrimination against people with
disability is common and against the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities.
Please Read Your Country Report and Comment
Friday, 13 November 2009
The Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED) issued independent living reports concerning 23 countries. ANED was established by the European Commission in 2008 to provide scientific support and advice for its disability policy Unit. They say: The purpose of the report is to review national legal framework and implementation of policies in support of independent living for people with disabilities, and to provide the EU Commission with useful evidence in support of future activities. The report will include recommendations to the Commission (as well to other relevant actors) on priorities for future policy and research development.
The reports are available for:
Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, UK.
ENIL would like to ask you to read these reports and send your comments to our secretariat. Do you think that independent living in your country is portrayed the right way, do you have additions or further comments? ENIL would like to refer to these reports and comments at the Independent Living Conference in Brussels on 3 Dec 09.
