Click on a word which is in blue and bold to read what it means.
Last January
Inclusion Europe‘s director Milan Šveřepa
was interviewed by a Czech journalist.
In the interview he talked about:
- Deinstitutionalisation
- The rights of people with intellectual disabilities
- How to use the money from the European Union in Czechia
Here are some of the things that he said:
Why do people think that people
with intellectual disabilities
should be in institutions?
People who are put in institutions
are not taken seriously.
They are not treated as other people.
Older people often face the same challenges
of people with intellectual disabilities.
Do you agree?
Yes, I agree.
The situation is very similar.
The solution used now is the same for everyone.
This solution is segregating them in institutions.
But it doesn’t work.
Did we make any progress so far?
Institutions give a place to live and food
to people with intellectual disabilities.
But their lives are not better than before.
Nobody cares about what people in institutions
really want.
Progress on deinstitutionalisation is very slow then?
It is slow.
But the situation in Czechia is a bit better
than in other countries.
In Czechia people have tried to close institutions
for adults with disabilities.
There has been some progress.
What does Inclusion Europe fight for?
Inclusion Europe fights for the rights
of people with intellectual disabilities
and their families.
We want to end segregation in institutions.
We want people with intellectual disabilities
to live in the community.
We also want them to have the right to decide.
Often people in Czechia don’t have legal capacity.
What does it mean if you don’t have legal capacity?
It can mean different things.
You cannot buy anything,
because you cannot have money.
It also means that you cannot have a house.
People who don’t have legal capacity in Czechia
don’t have the right to vote.
All these things must change.
How should Czechia use the money
from the European Union?
The money from the European Union should be used:
- To move people out of institutions
and change things for older people.
- To make public places and houses accessible
- To support people with intellectual disabilities
in finding a job.