“Deinstitutionalisation means that people decide about their own life” – ETR

Our director Milan Šveřepa spent 2 days in Croatia where they recently closed 4 institutions.

``Deinstitutionalisation means that people decide about their own life``

Click on a word which is in bold to read what it means.

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institutions

Our director Milan Šveřepa
spent 2 days in Croatia.
He went to a meeting organised by ENIL
and Inclusion Europe’s member
Association for Self-Advocacy.

During this meeting
they spoke about the situation
of adults and children with intellectual disabilities
in Croatia.

Croatia recently closed 4 institutions.
But there are still 8000 people living in institutions.

Senada Halilčević is Inclusion Europe’s vice-president.
Senada talked about her fight
to live independently
and to be included in the community.

She said that support people and friends
have been very important for her.

Senada said:
“I am often afraid
that I will have to go back to an institution
and lose my freedom.”

Many other people
who have lived in institutions
feel this way.

Milan Šveřepa also talked about deinstitutionalisation.
He said that deinstitutionalisation is important
for people with intellectual disabilities.

It makes them feel equal to others.
They can decide about their own life.

There are many things that are important
for deinstitutionalisation.

For example:

• Make sure that people
are not put into institutions.

Recently there have been many children
put into institutions in Croatia.
This often happens because families are poor.
This must change.

We must make sure
that families get enough support.

• Keep everyone in mind

Croatia has recently closed
4 institutions for children with disabilities
and 4 institutions for adults with disabilities.
This is good.

But most children in institutions
are still people with disabilities.
They need more support.

Foster families of people with intellectual disabilities
need support.

Foster families are families
that take care of children
whose parents have some problems
and cannot take care of them.

Croatia has now created a system
to support children in foster care.

In Croatia many adults with intellectual disabilities
are now also put under foster care.
This is very bad.

Finally, people with intellectual disabilities
who live on their own
need support too.

• Support independent living

Money is very important.
Often institutions receive more money
than people who support people with intellectual disabilities
who live in the community.

This is bad and should change.

We must talk to people with intellectual disabilities
and ask them what they want
and how they want to live.

Give legal capacity to everyone!
In Croatia there are still 18,500 people
who cannot take decisions by themselves.
This must end.

Inclusion Europe will continue
to work with our Croatian member
to make things better
for people with intellectual disabilities
in Croatia.

We will learn more about this topic
at Europe In Action this year.
The topic of the conference
is independent living.

I hope to see you there!

Our work brings the voice of people with intellectual disabilities and their families where decisions about their future are made.

This has always been incredibly important. It is even more so with the Covid pandemic drastic impact on their rights and lives.

Being visible and vocal on issues directly affecting millions of people requires your support. 

Become Inclusion Europe supporter and help us keep doing our work.

 

 

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