It is not acceptable for funders to continue paying for segregation of people with intellectual disabilities.
All funders need to respect the rights of people with disabilities.
They need to listen to what people with disabilities are saying about how the money should be used.
Funders are, for example:
- Countries (including national, regional, local public budgets);
- European Union and its funds;
- Private #foundations and #philanthropists;
- Banks such as European Investment Bank, others.
Private initiatives should end their support sustaining segregated “care” institutions, providing them with volunteers and other support.
- This often serves to hide the institution’s responsibility and inability to support people in social interactions and inclusion.
Funders should not distract disability service providers with topics and actions not relevant to their core function until they change to support people to live independently and be included.
- Service providers need to focus on the necessary changes they need to make to properly support people to live independently and be included.
But of course, do not leave people in institutions alone and abandoned.
- Use your resources to help them reconnect with the world outside, to explore ways they could set up to live independently
Funders should provide money for the changes necessary for people with intellectual disabilities to live independently and to be included.
And they should stick with it until the problem is solved.
- Do not move to a new hot topic with every budget cycle.
Often, inclusion-supporting activities may seem mundane and unsophisticated; But they are the fabric of communities and actually help to solve segregation.
- A group of people meeting regularly to have chat together. No hot topics, no innovations involved. Just people getting on with their lives.
- We need more of it.