Key issues
Despite increased international recognition of the right of all disabled people to community inclusion, now also proclaimed in Article 19 of the recently adopted UN Disability Convention, long-stay residential institutions for people with disabilities are still a reality in many European countries. Quality, comprehensive community-based services for disabled people are often very scarce, if they exist at all.
With governments lacking policies and action plans that would promote community inclusion and the development of community support systems, funding is often directed at the building of new long stay residential institutions, rather than the development of community-based alternatives. This practice perpetuates the long term exclusion and segregation of people with disabilities from the society.
To break down the barriers between people with disabilities and the rest of society, it is not enough to make the physical environment accessible for people with disabilities. All disabled people must be able to choose and decide for themselves where, how and with whom they want to live. They must have access to quality, comprehensive services in their community, based on their rights and requirements, developed in close cooperation with organisations of disabled people.
For this, we need all the stakeholders to take action. Governments, service providers, funding organisations, disability organisations, the European Union, the Council of Europe and others must commit to developing or supporting community-based alternatives to long stay residential institutions for people with disabilities.
Campaign objectives
- To advocate for the development of comprehensive, quality community-based services for all people with disabilities;
- To ensure that no additional funding (governmental or non-governmental) is invested into the building of new long stay institutions and that it is instead used for the development of quality, comprehensive community-based services;
- To stop new admissions into long stay institutions;
- To raise awareness about the situation in long stay institutions for people with disabilities and about the need to put in place comprehensive, quality community-based services;
- To raise support for the right of all disabled people to be included in the society.
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Find out more
Signature collection
During the campaign, the European Coalition for Community Living will invite the decision and policy makers, service providers, members of the public and others to sign the Commitment to Community-Based Services for All. Signatures will be collected on the European level and in as many countries as possible.
Raising awareness
ECCL will use this campaign to raise awareness about the need to develop quality community-based alternatives to large residential institutions for people with disabilities. To do this, our members, organisations and individuals that join the campaign will distribute leaflets with personal stories of people with disabilities who have spent a part of their lives living in an institution and who now live independently in the community.
European Day of Action for Community Living
To maximize the impact of the campaign, ECCL will organise a European Day of Action for Community Living on 5 May 2007. We will use the European Day to have as many organisations as possible - across Europe and on the same day - collect signatures and support for the right of people with disabilities to be included in the society.
Launch
The campaign will be officially launched during ECCL's seminar on 20 - 21 April 2007 in Zagreb Croatia, by representatives of ECCL's Management Committee and ECCL's members. The seminar will focus on involving people with disabilities in the planning, development and evaluation of community-based services.
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What you can do
To support the Break Down the Barriers - Community Living for All Campaign, you can:
- Sign the online commitment to actively develop quality, comprehensive community-based services and stop financing the establishment of new long stay institutions for any group of disabled people.
- Get involved by collecting signatures and organising other campaign activities in your community or your country.
- Use the European Year of Equal Opportunities 2007 to gather support for the campaign.
- Distribute campaign leaflets in your country.
- Join the European Coalition for Community Living.
Campaign calendar
| December | Break Down the Barriers - Community Living for All Campaign online |
| February | Information about activities in different countries and Campaign materials available on the website and for distribution |
| April | Campaign launch in Zagreb, Croatia |
| May | European Day of Action for Community Living |
Other important dates will be announced in the course of the campaign. Please visit the website for regular updates.
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