On the International Day of Disabled People on 3 December, the European Network on Independent Living launched a petition for members of the public to sign, with a hope to attract the attention of policy and decision makers at both national and European levels. The petition:
- Cites various examples of crimes allegedly committed against disabled people within institutions.
- Aims to explain to the general European public why institutions are inherently wrong and go against the very concept of disability rights.
- Outlines the impact that the COVID 19 pandemic has had on disabled people in institutions.
- Makes a series of demands, such as the closure of institutions of all sizes for disabled people across Europe, development of community-based services and most importantly of personal assistance, respect of the national, EU and international human rights standards across member states, the use of EU funds in line with the UNCRPD and EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, in order to enable disabled people to live independently and with dignity.
Once it has received enough signatures, this petition will be submitted to the European Commission and the Petitions (PETI) Committee at the European Parliament.
You can sign the petition here
