Many politicians, public authorities, and disability service providers act as if they don’t know what the law says about inclusion of people with disabilities.
As if they never heard of good disability support.

They keep forcing people into “care” institutions, even building new ones.
They delay the necessary de-segregation with talk about “need for evidence”, or about “need to find good practice”.
Some politicians, public authorities, and disability service providers delay this change saying they must “protect people with disabilities” and inclusion will only be possible when “society is ready”.
Others paint this change in such an overcomplicated and unnecessarily complex way that nobody would even know where to start with it.

Inclusion Europe wrote a document to contribute to European Commission work addressing these issues.

In it we describe:

1. What we think some of the key words mean:

• Living independently and be included;
• “Care” institutions;
• Deinstitutionalisation;
• Disability support.

2. Actions in support of the right to live independently and to be included.

• Make public services accessible and available.
• Provide housing for people.
• Restore people’s right to decide about their life.
• Make disability support available to everyone who needs it.
• Provide tools for people to control disability support themself.
• Close bad disability services.
• Don’t wait for “society to change” or for all things to fall in place.

3. Move people from harmful places and help them to set up a new life.

• Make disability support available to everyone who needs it.
• Stop putting people in “care” institutions immediately.
• Find a new home for the person moving out of an institution.
• Support the person to establish a new life.
• Close the institution. Redirect its money to disability support.
• Have a clear strategy.
• Learn from what you (and others) are doing.

4. What funders need to do with their money to support living independently and being included.

It is crucial countries, service providers, funders and others listen to people with intellectual disabilities.

“Persons with intellectual disabilities and people with complex support needs are most likely to still live in institutional settings.”

Report

This must and will change.

From Inclusion Europe: Read the document in full here.