The Swedish Human Rights Council has now a representative from the independent living movement. A few days before Midsummer, our lawyer, Mari Siilsalu, was elected as a member of this council. With the appointment of Mari, the Council has its first representative of the independent living movement.
Jamie Bolling, Chairman of the Independent Living Institute (ILI) since 2024, ILI's Director from 2017–2025, and currently project manager for Disabled Refugees Welcome Support Center. Was awarded on december 10 the STIL prize Hjärter Ess 2025.
The Independent Living Institute (ILI) has been granted SEK 4,768,500 for the project "Disabled Refugees Stories. Adabi – A Sustainable Structure for Migrant Storytelling."
The project aims to develop a structure for how stories—which may include fictional narratives—from persons with disabilities who have arrived in Sweden from other countries can be encouraged, expressed, preserved, and disseminated. The purpose is for the storytelling and the story itself to ultimately be a key to integration, as well as increased representation and participation in society.
After Adolf Ratzka, the founder of the Independent Living Institute (ILI), passed away in 2024, some organisational changes have taken place. Jamie Bolling has stepped in as the institutes's chair and, today, September 1, 2025, is handing over the role of Director to Emil Erdtman. From 2017 to 2019, Emil was the project manager for ILI's project Lagen som verktyg (The Law as a Tool). Since then, he has earned a doctorate at Lund University.
The Independent Living movement lost a great leader this week with the passing of John Evans, a founding member and longtime president of ENIL. John passed away peacefully in hospital on Monday, January 13th, after a long battle with cancer.
John was a tireless advocate for personal assistance and a source of inspiration to many. He served as a role model for countless individuals within the movement and his dedication and efforts have improved the lives of many.
A week has gone since Adolf, one of the world’s Independent Living’s strongest leaders, died in a tragic accident.
Adolf’s wife Doro and Katharina his daughter have planned the funeral. Some plans are not completely confirmed but we now publish the information that is confirmed with the dates so people can make arrangements to attend if they can. All are welcome to attend Adolf’s funeral ceremony and memorial service, but you do need to register on the funeral home’s webpage listed below.
Philip Mason has left us at the age of 81.
Philip had an important role in the British and European Independent Living Movement. He served on the ILI Board from ILI’s beginnings until he resigned in 2005 to be able to concentrate more on local issues.
The UN CRPD Committee found that the fact that the relevant domestic authorities in Finland rejected the author’s application for personal assistance on the basis of resource criteria is indirect discrimination against persons with intellectual disabilities as it had the effect of impairing or nullifying the author’s enjoyment and exercise of the right of living independently and being included in the community on an equal basis with others, in violation of his rights under article 5 (1) and (2) read alone and in conjunction with article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons wi
Onsdag 16 mars 2022
Kl. 13:30–15:00
Möt aktörer i Stockholms län som på olika sätt arbetar med att stödja utveckling av stöd, vård och omsorg till personer med funktionsnedsättning.
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is looking for a full time Policy Coordinator for its Brussels office, with a starting date as soon as possible. The Policy Coordinator will be responsible for planning and implementing ENIL’s advocacy strategy at the European and international level. Apply by 6 February 2022
This meeting is a follow up from the Nordic network meeting in November 2020. Representation is confirmed from Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
On the agenda:
Please confirm attendance to me by January 22, 2022 – Jamie.bolling@independentliving.org . Welcome!
ULOBA with Bente Skansgård in the front has accomplished so many things and serves over a thousand persons in Norway with personal assistance. But ULOBA has done more, without ULOBA ENIL would have had to close when the EU commission withdrew funding. But no, we together continue a strong fight for Independent Living throughout Europe. Thank you ULOBA for all that you have done and do today! Happy 30th! from ILI.
The Independent Living Institute is sorry to share the sad news of the loss of one of our important fellow activists in our movement – that of Kapka Panayotova from Sofia, Bulgaria. She is like my sister, having shared projects and the fight for Independent Living since 1998. We shared our commitment, our frustrations and fun moments allowing us to continue the battle for equality together. It is sad and a cruel reality how life and death go hand in hand, happiness and sorrow, says Jamie Bolling. I will miss Kapka and her power, giving us all strength and support in the work that we do.
2020-10-07
We at the Independent Living Institute (ILI) are very pleased to share the news about Prof. Gerard Quinn’s Appointment as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The press release from the European Network on Independent Living - ENIL is well worth reading.
Organised by Disabled Refugees Welcome/Independent Living Institute and the European Network on Independent Living.
The Swedish Inheritance Fund has granted just under SEK 6.8 million to the Independent Living Institute in collaboration with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute to implement the three-year project “Article 19 as a Tool”. “Article 19” refers to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 19 – Living independently and being included in the community.
Kalle died on September 11, 2018 at the age of 68.
Swedish Association of the Deaf, Swedish Youth Association of the Deaf and the non-profit association The law as a tool has submitted a communication to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, requesting the Committee to recognise that Sweden has violated the rights of Richa
I'm almost 74 years old and have been ILI's director since the organization's start in 1993. Contrary to what you might suspect, my role models have not been Robert Mugabe, Fidel Castro or similar hard-to-remove older gentlemen. For a long time, I have been looking for somebody willing and capable to succeed me as ILI's director, a position where you are expected to raise money for your own salary. Now, finally, I found the right one: Jamie Bolling.
Adolf Ratzka wins ULOBA's 2017 Pride Award at the annual ULOBA Pride Parade in Oslo on June 17.
6 April 2017. The Swedish Inheritance Fund yesterday approved funding of 8.4 million SEK to the Independent Living Institute project Disabled Refugees Welcome.
The project Disabled Refugees Welcome will improve the reception of refugees who have disabillities and the coordination of services provided to refugees .
The Swedish Inheritance Fund approved funding for the three year project "Using the law" (Med lagen som verktyg) at it's October 2015 board meeting. Co-applicants are Handikappförbunden HSO, Apply Human Rights, DHR, STIL, och Personskadeförbundet RTP.
March 13 in Athens at a conference of the ruling party SYRIZA Adolf Ratzka recommended Independent Living and Personal Assistance as the guiding philosophy for countries in deep social and economic crisis.
The Zero Project researches the status quo of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), this year with a focus on independent living and political participation. Data on 150 countries was collected, together with 50 Innovative Practices and Policies that can be considered as worldwide role models in their field.
Interview with Adolf Ratzka by Christa Hofmann talking about personal assistance in Sweden. Part of the program "Leben ohne Barrieren" shown on tv.orf.at/weltjournal 2014-12-02. Austrian TV.
The interview is in german and there are no subtitles.
The Zero Project team would like to invite leading experts and organizations to nominate outstanding practices and policies concerning this year’s topic:
Independent Living and Political Participation
The Innovative Policies and Practices selected by internationally renowned experts in a multistep process will be:
