Pumping up Political Strength, a 3-year project in Bulgaria and 7 other Eastern European countries
By Andrew Freeway (source l.darwish@nizw.nl)
National survey on the situation of Bulgarians with an intellectual disability and their families
Advancing the Human Rights of Persons with Intellectual Disability in Civil Society is a project of Inclusion Europe and co-financed by the European Commission's Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. Inclusion Europe (www.inclusion-europe.org) is the European Association of organizations of people with an intellectual disability and their families. Together with Bulgaria also the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia are partnering in this project.
The project has a simple but very important objective: to fortify the political strength of the 8 partner organizations by improving their active participation in decision-making processes and by introducing them into the European disability policy arena.
Assessment of current situation in 8 partner countries
An important result of the project is the assessment of the current situation of people with an intellectual disability in the partner countries. With the support of Inclusion Europe and the Dutch International Center of the NIZW (websrv1.nizw.nl/nizwic/nizwic.htm), who developed an assessment instrument for this particular purpose, BAPID, the Bulgarian Association of Persons with Intellectual Disability (www.inclusion-europe.org/humanrights/p_bulgaria.htm) has made the Bulgarian survey.
No surprise to find people are locked away in barbaric conditions
Based on the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (UN) legislation, governmental policy, statistic information, the opinions of organizations of people with a disability and reactions of people with an intellectual disability and their families were gathered and described in this report.
The outcome did not surprise anyone involved but it was necessary to document this situation. Like in many other countries, obviously also Bulgarian children or adults with an intellectual disability are not integrated; they do not participate into society and are locked away. Healthcare services, accessible education and support service to enable families to take care of their children at home as long as possible are lacking completely. Most parents have no other option then to let their intellectual disabled children live in institutions. But, according to BAPID, the living circumstances in those institutions are barbaric.
Publicity in Bulgaria prompts action
The presentation of this national survey has led to a lot of upheaval in Bulgaria and has focused the public's attention to this inhumane situation. And as a result new initiatives are taken and alternatives are developed in order to change the living conditions and opportunities of people with an intellectual disability and their families. A priority is given to de-institutionalization actions and the development of decent ways of living and working for people with an intellectual disability.
In the meantime all other surveys are to be published and subject to an international comparison. This comparison, carried out by the International Center, will serve as a platform to create an international plan and 8 national plans of action. The closing and the evaluation of the project will take place during an international conference in Estonia at the end of the European Year of Disabled People.
|
