Uloba. 2003-03. "Uloba - Independent Living Norway Cooperative for Consumer controlled Personal Assistance." Internet publication URL: http://www.independentliving.org/docs6/uloba200303.html
Presented at the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) conference in Southampton, England, 7-9 March 2003.
March 2003.
Uloba - cooperative for consumer controlled personal assistance - was founded
in 1991. We were five pioneers who started the cooperative, now (2003) we are
300 work leaders employing 1 700 personal assistants. Uloba is the only coop
of its kind in Norway. Uloba is built upon the principals of the Independent
Living Movement. We fight institutions, medicalisation and professionalisation
every day. Peer support and peer counselling is our method. STIL (Stockholm
Cooperative for Independent Living) was Uloba`s role model during the initial
years.
Starting in May 2000 Consumer controlled personal assistance was covered
by law in Norway – mainly because of Uloba`s work. Uloba has done some
pioneer work in fighting for consumer controlled personal assistance. Even
though personal assistance is covered by law in Norway, it is not an individual
legal right as in Sweden. It is included in a framework of laws covering
all social rights. Having consumer control is still an individual negotiation
with the local government for every single disabled person. And the municipalities
(not the disabled person) have the right to decide between three employer
models:
Very few people have information about the three models and the municipalities
often regard themselves as the most professional employer.
Municipal services are established in all municipalities – 434 in all
- and organized with a focus on sick, old people. The services are designed
for sick people who stay home waiting for services to take care of their
basic needs. With municipal services you are homebound. Disabled people are
not sick people who want to stay at home waiting for basic assistance.
It is hard to make professionals and politicians realise that people with
disabilities need to be in control of their own assistance in order to be in
control of
their lives. Disabled people need control over their assistance to work,
attend meetings, enjoy concerts, cinemas, cafés, week-end-trips, holidays
etc. Those who have Uloba as employer for their assistants, recruit their
assistants, train them, make the schedules and are supervisors for their
own assistants.
The Future for Consumer Controlled Cooperatives
Uloba has a good team of disabled experts who want to play an important part
in the development of consumer controlled personal assistance in Norway. We
want it to be an individual legal right for people who need assistance, and
included as part of public social insurance like it is in Sweden.
Peer Support and peer counselling
Our people (the work leaders) get education and peer support from peer trainers in the cooperative. Uloba has 15 peer counsellors who themselves have consumer controlled assistance; they are spread all over the country. The peer support and peer counselling in the coop is genuine, Uloba has:
1. work leader courses and meetings
2. counselling and support of work leaders and disabled people who wants to be a part of the coop
3. general information to disabled people, families and professionals
4. seminars, lectures
5. forum for assistants
6. work leader manual
7. assistant manual
8. web site (www.uloba.no)
9. magazines, pamphlets
Anti-discrimination Legislation
A governmental committee (2002) has documented handicapping elements in society.
There is a big gap between political aims and the present design of buildings
and the public environment, information and communication technology as well
as transportation. There is a long way to go before Norway has the universal
design which has been included in political aims since 1981 – the UN’s
international year for disabled people. The governmental committee calculated
the cost to include disabled people – and the figures were large. Transportation
for instance calls for immense investments. But the most important advice from
the committee was that Norway needs an anti-discrimination legislation to be
able to give equal opportunities to all citizens.
The disabled movement was thrilled by this suggestion, so a united movement
now follows the political process very closely.
The government decided to follow up with a legal expert committee. This committee
will within two years complete their recommendations both according to the
general legal coverage and the need for an anti-discrimination legislation.
Uloba has founded a separate body (2002) to influence the process towards an
anti-discrimination legislation, and to safeguard that intentions remain high
in the political process. The foundation is called Stop Discrimination and
the web-address is www.stopdisk.no.