Unfortunately, Britain is no longer an EU nation, but this des not mean we should not support our European comrades through signing this petition. Institutionalisation of disabled people is inherently wrong, and should not be happening at all in the 21st century.

I can only hope that this petition makes people in the UK think and reflect on their treatment of disabled people, and the impact of Brexit, which has further segregated disabled activists from this important campaigning group. The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is an important body that should be supported in their work, by all forward-thinking people. I have shared  a recent email that I received from them, below. 

Solidarity to our European brothers and sisters.

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BRUSSELS 3 December 2021 –  The European Network on Independent Living – ENIL has been following the use of European Union (EU) funds for more than a decade. We know that EU funds are sometimes used to build new institutions or to refurbish institutions. We also know that EU funds are being used to transfer disabled people from bigger to smaller institutions, which is a violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights.

In response to this ENIL undertook many actions over the years, including making complaints to the European Commission and the European Ombudsman, and initiating proceedings at the General Court in Luxembourg.

Today, on the International Day of Disabled People, we are launching 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:

1. Cites various examples of crimes allegedly committed against disabled people within institutions.
2. Aims to explain to the general European public why institutions are inherently wrong and go against the very concept of disability rights.
3. Outlines the impact that the COVID 19 pandemic has had on disabled people in institutions.
4. 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.

SIGN THE PETITION

Once it has received enough signatures, this petition will be submitted to the European Commission and the Petitions (PETI) Committee at the European Parliament.

For further information regarding the petition, please contact ENIL: secretariat@enil.eu.