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Pentru Voi is an organisation in Romania. Romania is a country in Eastern Europe. Pentru Voi works for people with intellectual disabilities. They want people with intellectual disabilities to be able to vote. Pentru Voi trained many self-advocates on voting in the European elections. Newspapers wrote about these trainings. |
Inclusion Europe member Pentru Voi has taken an active role in advocating for the voting rights of persons with intellectual disabilities at both national and European level. During the month of May, Pentru Voi has organized trainings for more than 100 Romanian self-advocates on issues related to the European Parliament elections, a matter which was reported on in the Romanian media here and here (in Romanian).
Pentru Voi also promoted the Inclusion Europe manifesto, and asked future Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to commit to advancing and protecting equal opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The organization called on future MEP to take active steps to promote inclusion, particularly by:
- Guaranteeing equal voting rights and active participation in political processes for all people, regardless of disability
- Implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)
- Attaining legal recognition for all people, and equal access to justice
- Making sure that people with disabilities are given the necessary support to be able to live in the community
- Protecting people with disabilities from the devastating effects of austerity measures
- Promoting equal access to goods and services for all people
“In Romania, many people with intellectual disabilities are being denied their civil rights, including their right to vote, a matter which constitutes a direct infringement on the provisions of the UN CRPD. We therefore call on the relevant authorities to modify the Romanian Civil Code, so that people under guardianship can still vote with the aid of their legal guardian, and make sure the interests of people with disabilities are also represented at national and European level. We also call on the future MEPs to adopt a Directive that ensures equality in front of the law for all people, regardless of disability,” said Laila Onu, Pentru Voi Executive Director.
