This year, because of the COVID-19 situation,

training for self-advocates was done online.

 

By doing this we were able to reach more people.

 

We had 93 registrations for the events and 71 attendees.

The participants were self-advocates

and professionals supporting them.

The aim of these online meetings

was to collect some ideas on how

people were affected by the COVID-19 situation

on their ability to advocate

for themselves and exercise rights.

We had online events in 7 languages:

· German

· French

· Czech

· Romanian

· Portuguese

· English

· Hungarian

 

Participants were from 11 European countries:

· Austria

· Belgium

· Czechia

· France

· Hungary

· Poland

· Portugal

· Moldova

· Romania

· Scotland-UK

· The Netherlands

Main issues identified

 

• Difficulties to keep the jobs.

 

• Problems with getting the needed support to independent living.

 

• Difficulties to stay in touch with family and friends.

 

• In some countries, people in institutions
  did not have access to the internet or to mobile phones.

 

• Online events or meetings are not accessible to all.

 

• Access to protective equipment was difficult.

 

• More abuse inside the institutions and residential services.

 

• Access to health care services was limited.

 

• There was a returning to “old days” – people closed in their rooms,
  heavily medicated, no community activities.

How did the governments act?

 

Article 11 of the

Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)

says that governments must make sure

that persons with disabilities

have access to the right protection

and to be safe in case of humanitarian emergencies.

 

This means that they need to have measures

that protect people from harm and have them safe.

 

According to our participants,

this did not happen in most of the countries.

What have we learned that it’s important?

 

• It is really important to have strong self-advocacy groups.
  When we have them, they can help to decide on good measures.

 

• It is also important to teach self-advocates
  on how to use mobile phones
  and the internet to stay in touch.

 

• Governments should involve persons with disabilities
  and their representative organisations
  when they think about measures
  to respond to events like the pandemic.

 

• It is easier to protect ourselves
  against the virus and to live an independent life
  if we have community-based services.