Click on a word which is in bold to read what it means.
On April 11th
Inclusion Europe’s director Milan Šveřepa went to Romania
to talk at a conference on deinstitutionalisation.
There Milan Sverepa learned a lot
about what Romania is doing
to get people with intellectual disabilities
out of institutions.
Inclusion Europe’s Romanian members
were all there.
They are called:
- Ceva de Spus
- Federatia Incluziune
- Pentru Voi.
Children
From 1997 to today
there are many children with disabilities
who got out of institutions.
Half of the children with disabilities
who still live in institutions
have intellectual disabilities.
Children younger than 3 years old
cannot be put in institutions.
But Romania still puts these children in institutions
if they have very complex disabilities.
This is not right.
Adults
There are many adults
who live in institutions.
Many of them have intellectual disabilities.
There are more and more adults
who end up in institutions.
This happens also because
support is often only available
in institutions.
There is not enough support available for people
who live in the community.
Romania wants to close
most of its old institutions.
They are now building new ones.
In the new ones,
there will be space
for up to 50 people.
Since 2017,
organisations that support people with disabilities
cannot enter institutions.
So they cannot see
how people are treated there.
This is very bad.
It means that no one can see
how life is in institutions
for people with intellectual disabilities.
Milan Sverepa
explained how Romania can make things better
for people with intellectual disabilities.
He said that it is important
for people with intellectual disabilities
to get out of institutions.
It is important because then they can
live free and make their own decisions.
Things are already much better in Romania
for children with disabilities.
This is good.
In Romania there are many organisations
who know how to create
support in the community
for people with disabilities.
With the money from the EU
Romania can do many things
so that people with intellectual disabilities
can live an independent life.
No need for institutions
It is important to make sure
that people with intellectual disabilities
learn to do things by themselves
so that they do not end up in institutions.
We should also make sure
that people who got out on institutions
do not go back there.
This also means
that children who were not put in institutions
should not end up in an institution
when they grow up.
Another important thing
is to support families
of people with intellectual disabilities.
Give support
to those who need it
We need to support
people who leave the institutions,
and to help them feel better
after such a bad experience.
Adults with complex support needs
and children with disabilities
need the most support.
So they should get what they need.
