Stop the difference - Frequently asked Questions
What is ENIL?
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a European wide network of disabled people. ENIL represents a forum intended for all disabled people, independent living organizations and their non-disabled allies.
ENIL and its member organizations believe that full citizenship and human rights for disabled people will only be achieved through increasing awareness, challenging traditional services and promoting positive debate throughout Europe and internationally.
ENIL believes that disabled people are the experts on their own lives and must be consulted and involved in all discussions on issues that affect them. ENIL is 100% run and controlled by disabled people; as a result it considers itself to be a representative user-led organization for disabled people’s views. See more on ENIL in the e-library
What is Independent Living?
The philosophy of independent living speaks simply about the fact that disabled people have to have equal civil rights and that their freedom of choice and the possibility of managing every aspect of their life must be ensured. Independent living is a concept which underpins the work of disabled people to achieve equal opportunities and full participation in society as equal citizens.
What is Personal Assistance?
Personal assistance is a process where an individual chooses and employs a person or persons to provide support so that they can live independently.
So disabled people can become personal assistance users (P.A. users) by paying a personal assistant (P.A.) to provide assistance, but usually they can only do this if they have some money to do so from their governments (usually called a direct payment) and if such a system is fully recognised in their country.
Not all disabled people want personal assistants, but for those that do want them it can be a problem to pay for one if their national government do not recognize, understand or fully support disabled peoples’ independence. Even when a government does recognise this policies can work against independence in a number of ways. In fact only a minority of disabled are able to access personal assistance, while others remain in institutions, or endure state created dependency instead of independence and human rights.
See: Model Personal Assistance policy in e-library
What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty identifying and promoting the human rights of disabled people. It also provides obligations on States Parties to the Convention to promote and ensure disabled peoples’ rights. The United Nations Convention was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. The UN Convention seeks to enshrine disabled peoples’ rights in law (see article 4).
See: copy of the UN Convention
What is article 19?
The United Nations Convention is divided into 49 articles or sections. Article 19 called: ‘living independently and being included in the community’ says: ‘States and parties to the convention must recognize the equal right of all people to live in the community with equal choices in comparison to non-disabled people. States and parties to the convention must take effective measures to facilitate the full employment of disabled people. They must ensure disabled peoples’ full participation and inclusion in the community. They must ensure that:
a) Disabled people have the opportunity to choose their place of residence and where and with whom they live on an equal basis with others and are not obliged to live in a particular living arrangement( for example an institution)
b) Disabled people should have access to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community, preventing isolation or segregation from the community;
c) Community services and facilities for the general population should be available on an equal basis to disabled people and be responsive to their needs.’
Article 19 is considered to be the article that offers most scope in addressing and campaigning for independent living, inclusion within the community and deinstitutionalization.
My Country has not ratified the UN Convention can I still sign?
Yes. The signatures will represent a symbolic voice to national and European governments on the issue of Personal assistance and personal assistance law. This campaign represents both a statement and an explanation of why personal assistance and independent living is so important to many disabled people.
The UN Convention is international what the about the European Community?
The UN Convention was signed on behalf of the European Community on the 30th March 2007. However, the European Action Plan for Disability also identifies the issues of independent living as important. Action line 8 of the European Action Plan states that disabled people should be given full support for community living and independent living in the same way that article 19 of the UN Convention does.
Why is the campaign important?
If national governments and the European Parliament do not know the strength of feeling or understand the issues properly, they are less likely to see the issue as urgent. Even in countries that have personal assistance, a law and targeted discussion with user-led groups would clearly help to improve disabled peoples’ rights.
The UN Convention will not work unless we do, we need to challenge governments and constantly remind them of their obligations to disabled peoples’ human rights. We need to insist that we are involved, and consulted, and make our views known.
What will ENIL do with the signatures?
Initially, ENIL intends to present the signatures to the European Parliament at Strasburg as part of its Freedom Drive event in September 2009. Beyond that our members and supporters decide together the best actions to take.
What else can we do to support the campaign?
You can tell others about the campaign or publicise the campaign on your web-site. Please email: debbie.jolly@enil.eu for details.
How can we join ENIL?
To join ENIL send an email to: coordinator@enil.eu