FREEDOM DRIVE 2011 DEMANDS
1. Independent living central in all relevant EU policies: ENIL calls on the European Union to continue the process of shifting the disability paradigmfrom care and welfare to human rights issues, and to ensure that IndependentLiving as a human rights issue is central in all relevant policies of the European Union. This demand is required by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, concluded by the EU in 2010. ENIL calls for the European Parliament to require the European Commission to develop and distribute guidelines for disability policy based on the ENIL definitions of Independent Living, Personal Assistance, Universal Community Based Services and De-Institutionalisation.
2. Respecting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons withDisabilities: ENIL calls for the immediate shift in interpreting the EU law andpolicy in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.The Convention provisions on Non-discrimination, Accessibility, the Right toLive in the Community and Personal Mobility must become the minimumbenchmark applied by the EU and its agents in all legislative and policyinitiatives.
3. Inclusion of people with disabilities: ENIL calls for full inclusion of disabled people through the application of the CRPD principle of Universal Design and therewith the abandonment of special solutions in all areas includingeducation, transport, housing, public services and employment. Specialsolutions lead to segregation.
4. De-institutionalisation – closure of institutions by 2020: ENIL calls for the European Union to continue to assist the development of universal community based services to achieve de-institutionalization across Europe before 2020. This through the stipulation of independent living in the EU budget andStructural Funds and with the ear-marking of funding for independent living.No European funding should go into the support of traditional or institutionalforms of living for disabled people. If funding is spent in such a way, sanctionsmust be applied.
5. Personal Assistance for all in need: ENIL calls for the implementation of our human right to personal assistance for Independent Living in all EU memberstates. The lack of personal assistance constitutes the violation of basichuman rights of disabled people.
6. Freedom of movement: ENIL calls for the opportunity to equally enjoy theright to freedom of movement with the portability of personal assistanceservices. ENIL calls for the adoption of the EU Mobility Act.
7. Independent Living in International Development Programs: ENIL calls for an earmarking of 5% of EU development funding to go to the development of Independent Living programs in developing countries.
8. Full ratification and implementation of the UN CRPD: ENIL calls on the EU to sign and ratify the optional protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and for the European Union to call on its member states for full ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and of the Optional Protocol.
9. Disabled People’s Organisations in policy-making: ENIL reminds theEuropean Union that it is required under Article 4(3) of the UN Convention onthe Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to actively involve the organisations ofdisabled people and Independent Living organisations at all levels of disabilitypolicy-making including planning, producing and implementation.
NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!