Find the meaning of the words in bold in the dictionary at the end of the document.
There are 1.5 million people with disabilities in
the European Union that live in institutions.
People with disabilities face many
problems in institutions.
For example, the institution has full guardianship
over people with disabilities and people with
disabilities may experience violence.
During COVID-19, many people
with disabilities died in institutions.
The European Union needs to
support deinstitutionalisation.
Independent living means that persons
with disabilities can make their own decisions.
Who they live with and organise their lives.
Persons with disabilities need
accessibility to be independent.
Persons with disabilities need accessibility
of the environment and the transport.
The information and communication
about community-based services
needs to be easy to understand.
Community-based services mean that
persons with disabilities must have access
to various services that enable them
to live and be part of the community.
Services that need to be accessible for people
so that they can live independently are
housing, health care, education
employment, culture and leisure.
To achieve full inclusion and
end the segregation of person with disabilities
governments must work closely with organisations
of people with disabilities.
Governments need to work closely
with self-advocacy organisations.
Support should be person centred,
especially for those with complex support needs.
We need to work together to make
deinstitutionalisation a reality because
people with disabilities have the right to
live independently
make their own decisions
be part of the community
and enjoy their full rights.
