Independent Living Institute

 This document was co-created in May 2022 by Teodor Mladenov (University of Dundee), Jim Elder-Woodward (Scottish Independent Living Coalition), Mari Siilsalu (Independent Living Institute), Ines Bulic Cojocariu (European Network on Independent Living), Nadia Hadad (European Network on Independent Living), and Lilia Angelova-Mladenova (European Network on Independent Living).

(Daniela Komanická)
Stockholm 21st September 2021

1 oktober 2021

Till: Socialdepartementet

Diarienummer: S2021/04587

Vår kontaktperson: Jamie Bolling, jamie.bolling@independentliving.org

Remissinstans: Independent Living Institute

Independent Living Institute (ILI) är en ideell tankesmedja och projektplattform inom medborgarrättsrörelsen Independent Living av personer med funktionsnedsättning. Våra grundläggande principer är självbestämmande, självrespekt och empowerment (bemäktigande och bemyndigande). Vi lämnar här vårt remissvar på betänkandet SOU 2021:37 Stärkt rätt till personlig assistans.

Stiletten var STIL-kooperativets organ som gavs ut i pappersform fram till 2011. 1986 kom dåvarande verksamhetsledaren Bengt Elmén på idéen att samla våra frekventa utskick till medkämparna och medlemmarna och allmänheten i ett nyhetsbrev med detta vassa namn. Stilettens uppgift var att hålla dem informerade om

Interviews with Personal Assistance Users and Independent Living Activists

Master’s Thesis

Abstract 

Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) states the right for disabled people to live independently and to be included in the community. The article includes the right to personal assistance as a tool for independent living. General Comment Number 5 on Article 19 of the CRPD criticizes the inadequacy of the implementation of this right and gives clear criteria, which define the term personal as-sistance. These criteria have to be fulfilled in order to call a service personal assistance.

Finland (population 5.5 million) has personal assistance. In 2020 there were  28 000 personal assistance clients.

Links:

In our project Article 19 as a tool, we welcomed Alex Caputo Janhager as an intern. As a part of his internship and introduction to Sweden, he wrote a paper on the Independent living Institute and its activities, the Swedish political system and Sweden’s relation to international human rights norms. The paper is available at the end of this post.

Adolf Ratzka wins ULOBA's 2017 Pride Award at the annual ULOBA Pride Parade in Oslo on June 17. ULOBA's general director Vibeke Maröy Melström had this to say about the jury's decision

This year’s winner of the Pride Award has been one of Europe’s leading activists in the fight for equality for disabled people for nearly five centuries.

The award winner defines Independent Living as us having the rights, choices and control over our own lives which others often take for granted.

Adolf Ratzka, PhD, Director, Independent Living Institute, Sweden

In Germany people must pay for personal assistance themselves, until their income and assets are almost exhausted, unless they have insurance cover.  “You can have a maximum of 2600 Euros in assets and retain from your income each month 800 Euros plus enough money to pay your rent.” says Corina Zolle, who has employed her own personal assistants for 20 years. “Compared with Germany, Sweden is a paradise.” She adds.