ECCL

European Coalition

for Community Living

The Right to Live in the Community

Friday, May 26, 2006

On 17 May, the European Coalition for Community Living organised a seminar on the right to community living for people with disabilities. Close to 80 participants from disability organisations, service provider organisations and governmental bodies emphasised that life in the community is a human right of every individual and supported the work of the European Coalition for Community Living.

The aim of the seminar was to provide an opportunity for participants to consider and discuss the key issues and challenges in the development of comprehensive, quality community-based services for people with disabilities in Europe and help ECCL formulate its strategy.

 

Speakers at the seminar included representatives of disability organisations (Ottmar Miles-Paul, John Evans, Wilma Boevink, representatives of Atempo, Austria), service provider organisations (Luk Zelderloo, Theodorus Maas, Borka Teodorovic), university centres (Steven Eidelman, Kent Ericsson) and the European Commission (Wallis Goelen, Jan Jarab).

 

There was a wide consensus at the seminar about the importance of the development and provision of community-based services and the need for an initiative such as ECCL. Participants highlighted the need for the collection of best practice, which would support the work of organisations involved in the provision of community-based services and the process of de-institutionalisation. They also called for activities which would ensure that community living is seen as a human right of every individual and lead to change in countries where institutions are still a reality for people with disabilities.

 

For more information about the Right to Live in the Community seminar, click here.