At it's last General Assembly meeting in Helsinki, Finland, which took place on 5 June 2010, EASPD officially decided to launch a new Special Interest Group on Independent Living (Art. 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).
The Interest Group on independent living should help people with disabilities that existing residential services and housing types, as well as the support services be revised to be adapted and evaluated. It will provide sustainable services.
Background: Service providers for persons with disabilities operate in a fast changing environment.
- Shift in paradigm (UN convention, HR bases, focus on inclusion and citizenship)
- Increase in needs (ageing, fragmentation of families, waiting lists…)
- Decrease of budgets (crisis, market mechanism)
- Strong emphasis on quality and user involvement
- Availability of new technologies offering innovative solutions
As a network of providers we aim at a correct implementation of the UNCRPD and see the need for innovation and modernization in the 24/7 services sector. Independent living of persons with disabilities is only possible when having the needed support services and systems available.
You will find all outcomes and position papers of this working group on this section of the website.
For further questions, please contact elisa.bruno@easpd.eu
NEWS
The challenge is ours! Deinstitutionalization of services for people with disabilities in Western European Countries
Report “The challenge is ours! Deinstitutionalization of services for people with disabilities in Western European Countries” drafted on the outcomes of the seminar organised in Brussels the 3rd and 4th October 2011 by EASPD, KVPS / Finland, about deinstitutionalization in Western European Countries.
EASPD supports the Toronto Declaration on Bridging Knowledge, Policy and Practice in Aging and Disability
Toronto, Canada, March 30, 2012
Find the text here
Linz declaration on "Independent Living for Ageing Persons with Disabilities", January 2012
Linz declaration on "Independent Living for Ageing Persons with Disabilities", January 2012
EASPDs contribution to European Year for Active Ageing and Soli-darity between Generations (2012)
Linz declaration in Macedonian language: "Zaklu~oci i preporaki od Evropskata konferencija “Stari, pa {to? Samostojno `iveewe za stari lica so popre~enost”
Report of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on the Transition from Institutionalised to Community-based Care
On 7 October 2009, the European Commission published the report of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on the Transition from Institutionalised to Community-based Care.
The group was officially set-up by Vladimir Spidla EU-Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. EASPD is part of this group, together with representatives from the Children’s High level Group, AGE (European Older People Platform), COFACE (Confederation of Family Organisations in the EU), ECCL (European Coalition for Community Living), EDF (European Disability Forum), Inclusion Europe and Mental Health Europe.
The goal of the report is to support the rights of persons with disabilities, elderly people, children and persons with mental health problems to live independently and to be included in community.
EASPD hopes that this report will convince European and national authorities to opt for smaller, more personalized care options which are based in the Communities and to review their rules and quality standards to guarantee individualized, needs tailored services and to promote the full inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities.
Report of the Ad Hoc Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (English)
Rapport du groupe d’experts ad hoc sur la transition des soins en institution aux soins de proximité (Français)
Bericht der Ad-Hoc-Expertengruppe zum Übergang von der Heimpflege zur gemeindenahen Pflege (German)
Informe del Grupo de expertos ad hoc sobre la transición de la asistencia institucional a la de base comunitaria (Español)
Relazione del gruppo di esperti ad hoc sulla transizione dall'assistenza istituzionale all'assistenza sul territorio (Italiano)
Verslag van de ad-hocdeskundigengroep betreffende de overgang van institutionele naar gemeenschapszorg (Nederlands)