Human Rights

The October 1  2011 article Dismantle Europe's inhumane institutions in the daily newspaper Göteborgsposten urges European countries to provide people with disabilities with personal assistance and assistive devices, rather than relegating them to institutions.

According to the Swedish Members of the European Parliament at least 1.2 million people live in institutions in the EU and Turkey, which they consider to be contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Keynote at the Expert Seminar
organized by the Hampshire Center for Independent Living
in Southampton, May 30 -31 1998

by Philip Mason

I am privileged and overawed to be the first speaker in this conference. A conference which is looking at the future in respect of those well known phrases 'Independent Living' and 'Direct Payments'. It is a privilege and also a responsibility because I need to strike the right note. I need to encourage but also to challenge.

So where do we start? Do we talk about the past; look at the present, and then think about the future?

We ought to do a little bit of all three and it is my job to start the ball rolling.

På svenska | En français

 Interview: Regine Abadia and Ryadh Sallem

You’re listening to Radio Independent Living documenting disabled people‘s struggle for self-determination

For years Marcel Nuss has been fighting for his right to live like everybody else -, in the community and not in a residential institution. He had to fight, because he is disabled and uses a ventilator 24 hrs a day, because he needs personal assistance - and because he lives in France where people like him are still not considered to be ready for a life outside of hospital-like institutions.

Motstånd – en plikt! Ett program om politiskt motstånd och civil olydnad. 2004-04. Lyssna-MP3 (26 minuter, 24,4 MB). Internet publication URLs: www.independentliving.org/radio/civilolydnad2002.mp3 och www.independentliving.org/radio/civilolydnad2002.html

In English | En français

Intervju:
Regine Abadia och Ryadh Sallem

I åratal fick Marcel Nuss kämpa för sin rätt att leva som andra, ute i samhället istället för att vara inlåst på institution. Han fick kämpa därför att han har ett funktionshinder och använder ventilator dygnet runt, han fick kämpa för att han behöver personlig assistans  - och för att han är bosatt i Frankrike där människor med dessa behov inte anses kapabla att leva utanför sjukhusliknande anstalter.

På svenska

This is the manual you have always wanted to consult. Have a look at the table of contents to whet your appetite:

Fundraising, putting on an event, writing proposals, talking to lenders and donors, media/public relations, press release, letters to the editor, bringing television to your event, getting an interview in the media, politicking the politicians, community organizing, starting a small group, creating coalitions, educating the community, and much more.