Bringing you an overview of news, reports, policies covered in Include newsletter this year. Subscribe here not to miss anything next time around.
* And a bit of other stuff, too. Oh, and this was 2020 by the way. (Read Include News for January 2022)
Hello.
I hope you find this a useful reminder of some things that happened this year.
When it’s put together like this, it looks like a fair bit of work. Big Thank you! to everyone involved.
For me personally, September marked 5 years on this job. It is big honour and pleasure working alongside so much great people and organisations.
Milan
January
Andrea Westerlund becomes the chairwoman of Steg för Steg, the Swedish-speaking association for and with people with intellectual disabilities in Finland.
Children’s rights for all, a report:
- Legal and policy progress in Europe on the rights of children with intellectual disabilities (.pdf).
Covid vaccines in easy-to-read
Employment campaign starts:
- Soufiane El Amrani sums up why employment matters so much.
- Employment is the fourth of our 5Es for rights and inclusion
February
The European Committee of Social Rights condemns Belgium for violating the European Social Charter:
- The committee condemned the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FBW) for lack of efforts for inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in education.
UN experts urge European Court of Human Rights to rethink vote ban for those with cognitive disabilities:
- “There now seems to be considerable unevenness with which many sides of the Council of Europe deal with inclusion and the rights of people with disabilities.”
- “At around the same time as the Court’s judgment, the Council’s European Committee on Social Rights issued a major decision which significantly advances the cause of inclusive education for children with disabilities across Europe.”
CRPD Committee consultations with input from Inclusion Europe:
- Deinstitutionalisation (.docx)
- Employment (.docx) – Easy-to-read version (.docx)
The European Parliament approves report on employment of people with disabilities.
- It has easy-to-read information in it.
March
EU Disability Rights strategy is presented by the European Commission:
- “People with disabilities should be able to participate equally in all areas of life. Living independently, learning in an inclusive environment, and working under appropriate standards are conditions that we need to ensure to all citizens,” says Commissioner Helena Dalli
- We were happy to see our long-term priorities reflected in the strategy (supported decision-making, deinstitutionalisation, right to vote)
- Easy-to-read version released on the same day as the strategy was good news too.
Belgium constitution has this new part: “Every person with a disability has the right to full inclusion in society, including the right to reasonable accommodation”. (more in French)
The European Commission presents Social Rights action plan:
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What the Social Rights pillars mean to people with disabilities.
Inclusion Europe Radio brings you the first set of stories and interviews.
- Early episodes are related to employment, as part of our campaign this year.
The Lancet article about pandemic impact on people with disabilities refers our Covid report:
- When social care is put on hold, cancelled, or reduced, people with disabilities are thrown back on the support of families if they have them. When it is not possible to attend day centres or voluntary projects, people with disabilities may be left with no one to meet.
April
Self-advocates report on activities during the pandemic.
“We have to carry on fighting, carry on with the struggle that really is the most important thing,” says former employment Commissioner Vladimír Špidla.
- Important report is named after Špidla.
- Špidla said those words at a conference in January 2020, and we published them to mark his birthday.
May
The European Court of Human Rights made a sad and unfair decision about the right to vote for people with disabilities.
- “Given the Court’s arguments (which amount to saying “this affects only small number of people”, and that “it happens in other countries too”) we have to wonder if the Court considers people with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities to have human rights at all.”
- Spoiler alert: It does not.
UN Rights experts call on Council of Europe to stop legislation for coercive mental health measures.
- We don’t like the Oviedo Convention optional protocol either.
June
EU Child Guarantee is an initiative to lift children out of poverty.
- EU countries must guarantee free and effective access to early childhood education and care; education and school-based activities at least one healthy meal each school day; healthcare.
Europe in Action conference about employment takes place online from Finland, organised by Tukiliitto with us.
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If we work, we get an opportunity to learn new skills, says László Bercse
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Greatest benefit is to share and learn from each other – Jyrki Pinomaa
Tukiliitto celebrated 60th anniversary after the conference.
- As did Lebenshilfe Wien in Austria.
- And Papillons blancs de Dunkerque in France.
All-Wales People First join Inclusion Europe as self-advocacy member.
The European Commission’s new guidance for European contracting authorities on how to introduce social criteria into public tenders.
- Buying social: A guide to taking account of social considerations in public procurement provides practical indications for public buyers to consider the social impact of the goods, services, and works they purchase.
Fundamental rights report 2021 is released.
- The report (.pdf) on how the Covid pandemic impacts on people’s rights in the EU.
- It report features prominently the European Parliament resolution to protect rights of people with intellectual disabilities, which started with our petition in 2020.
September
Ingrid Körner received the German Federal Cross of Merit for her more than 40 years of voluntary and extremely successful commitment to the equal participation of people with disabilities.
- Ingrid Körner was president of Inclusion Europe in the past (more in German).
Constitutional Court in Czechia took an important decision to protect the rights of victims with disabilities.
Lebenshilfe Austria have new Secretary general: Markus Neuherz.
New book about deinstitutionalisation has a long interview about what Inclusion Europe does. Also in the book:
- The situation of people with disabilities more generally has improved over time. However, this is not true for all people and more limited for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are more likely to be living in segregated or congregated settings and less likely to be experiencing real inclusion.
- The importance of self-advocacy, self-determination and supporting people with disabilities to demand their rights is highlighted, whether at an individual level with regards to their own or at a local or national lobbying. People with intellectual disability are particularly affected by a lack of choice and control.
October
In Czechia, 9.5 thousand people with intellectual disabilities live in social services that do not meet conditions for quality of life and inclusion.
- 11,000 people in cities over 50 thousand inhabitants have only 756 places available. (report in Czech, .pdf)
ENABLE Scotland wins 2021 Living Wage Scotland Outstanding Leadership Award.
- The award is in recognition of its sector-leading commitment to raise pay for the social care workforce to the real living wage.
Members:
- Inclusion Ireland announce new CEO, Derval McDonagh.
- Steg för Steg celebrate their 25th anniversary.
- Þroskahjálp, our member in Iceland, elect new board. The chairwoman of the board is Unnur Helga Óttarsdóttir.
Kapka Panayotova, independent living activist from Bulgaria, died.
November
Hear our Voices! self-advocacy conference sees 300 self-advocates from 9 countries take part.
Monika Zima-Parjaszewska, the president of PSONI, is this year’s winner of an award given for achievements to defend the rights and interests of people with disabilities in Poland.
The European Parliament approves report on petitions and protection of the rights of people with disabilities (includes easy-to-read part).
December
The European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference about employment, access to the internet, and children with disabilities.
- Commissioner Helena Dalli talks about what the EU is doing for people with disabilities.
The European Parliament produced a new study on implementation of the 2015 concluding observations of the CRPD Committee by the EU.
- Inclusion Europe work on Covid pandemic, right to vote is quoted extensively (.pdf)
How denying legal capacity impacts on life of people with intellectual disabilities.
- This is a series of reports about legal capacity, looking at how it affects various aspects of life (topics in our 5Es campaigns).
- So far we covered empowerment, elections, education.
- New report this year is about employment.
CRPD Committee is doing guidelines on deinstitutionalisation.
- We are not impressed.
Klapjob wins award for support to employment of people with intellectual disabilities.
- Klapjob is employment program of our member Lev in Denmark.
Easy to read programs from Spain earn accessibility Zero Project awards:
- Plena inclusión Madrid for “easy dictionary“
- Plena inclusión for “easy planet” TV program
Disability Platform meets for the first time.
- Disability Platform is organised by the European Commission to foster collaboration, and exchange of information, examples and practices on disability issues based on EU strategy.
- It brings together the European Commission, EU countries, disability organisations, and other NGOs.
- Inclusion Europe is one of the participating disability organisations.
Inclusion Europe board meets.
- Theresa Shearer becomes vice-president.
Our Employment campaign ends.
- 2022 will be about Ending segregation.
Jyrki Pinomaa talks to Slovenia’s public broadcaster, there’s nothing else to add.
By the numbers
1 million impressions across our social media channels.
24,338 followers on our social media channels.
- That is double the number of followers since 2016.
42 media appearances
- That’s up from 30 last year, and from 15 before that.
- This includes articles about our work; interviews; articles written by Inclusion Europe; reports and books with significant quotes from our work.
28 contributions to events organised by other organisations.
- We were invited and contributed to 28 different conference, seminars, trainings.
22 videos on our YouTube channel.
2 conferences organised.
1 new member
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