Peter Lambreghts ENIL Board Member & WRT Coordinator & Debbie Jolly

1. ENIL Freedom Drive ConferenceFourth session – Disability and AusterityConsequences of cuts on disabled people and ENIL’s lobbying for a Parliament Resolution Tuesday, September 10th 2013Strasbourg, France Peter LambreghtsENIL Board Member & WRT Coordinator & DebbieJolly Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) and ENIL Board Member

2. content of session (1) Part 1 • The effect of the crisis on disabled Europeans • Focus on specific member state with severe impact of crisis. Cuts in the U.K. and the counter actions by DPAC • ENIL’s past and future work against cuts on IL • Short Q&A with Peter & Debbie on their presentations

3. content of session (2) Part 2 • Interactionwith the FreedomDrivers. Bringingourknowledgetogether to defendour right on IL. • Focus onspecificquestions. • What negative impact on IL occurred in your region/country because of austerity measures and cuts? • What did you (your CILs/DPOs) do to counter the cuts and to defend the right on IL? What works, what doesn’t? Can we learn from each other? • What can ENIL do to assist and support you in fighting cuts and defending IL? Focus on specific actions.

4. The effect of the crisis on disabled Europeans (1)

5. Research proves disabled people are hit even harder than non disabled “Assessing the impact of European governments’ austerity plans on the rights of people with disabilities” http://www.enil.eu/recommended-readings-2/european-foundation-centre-assessing-the-impact-of-european-governments-austerity-plans-on-the-rights-of-people-with-disabilities/

6. Background info on EFC study • Reference frame • UNCRPD • EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020 • Europe 2020 strategy • Focus • ‘social services’ • Employment and vocational rehabilitation • Health and social care services • Independent living • Education and vocational training • ‘social security’ for people with disabilities

7. Background info on EFC study (2) • March – October 2012 • Two phases • European study • Review of ‘European’ sources, studies and statistics covering all 27 Member States • Country studies • Review of national sources • Semi-structured interviews with • Local authorities and funders • Disability organisations • Service Providers • Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and U.K

8. Cuts in direct independent living support Budget reductions for service providers Impact on education and employment support AUSTERITY MEASURES Partnership Cut support services for inclusive education ILF closed for to new applicants in UK Closure / merging Discontinuation of supported employment Environmental control devices on hold (Irish region) Reduction of staff Funding for assistive technology -37% (POR) Delays in payments Closure of sheltered workshops without alternatives

9. Standardisation Institutionalisation Innovation postponed AUSTERITY MEASURES Less availability and affordability Unmet need for personal assistance (520.000 hours / annum) Lack of know-how for drafting technical specifications Less training and professional development Longer waiting lists for long-term care and day-care Less budgets for community-based services Growing uncertainty blocks investments Back to the medical model Delays in implementation of new legislation Increased responsibilities For PwD and families

10. Overall impact of economic crisis on disabled people Inhibit progress to EU policy objectives EU Disability Strategy Implementation UNCRPD School drop-out rates below 10% 20 million people out of poverty 75% overall employment rate Disability-specific impact of austerity measures Weakened disability movement Greaterrisk for poverty disproportional Unemployment increase Cuts in social security Less social services Slow-down of innovation Worsening of mental health Hardening public attitudes Postponed accessibility investments Shrinking Labour Market Age-related disabilities Societal changes

11. Specific impact on UNCRPD Art. 19 Independent Living Articles of UNCRPD impacted by austerity measures Art. 20 Personal mobility Art. 28 Adequate standard of living and social protection Art. 24 Education Art. 27 Work and employment Art. 26 Habilitation and rehabilitation Art. 25 Health 11

12. Some frightening conclusions • Increased standardisation of care and less person-centred and individualised services • Re-emergence of institutional solutions • Lowering level of cash benefits/services to clients • Increased standardisation of care and less person-centred and individualised services • Reversion to medical model in eligibility assessments • Changes in national policies on personal budgets • Cuts in resources for mainstreaming • Reduced priority for independent living outcomes • Increased responsibility for families and end-users in financing and provision of services • Postponement of pre-crisis reform plans that envisaged UNCPRD implementation

13. Growing gap between UNCRPD ‘promise’ and reality in the lives of disabled people

14. ENILs work ‘against the cuts’ Ringing the alarm bell in newsletters and press releases (since begin EU crisis) First hand informationon impact of ‘crisis’ measures, fromgrassroots level. Peoplewhoexperience the impact in theirdailylife. Alsoannounced/plan measures have serious (mental health) impact

15. ENIL proposalfor a EP Resolution (summer 2011) this was the focus of StrasbourgFreedom Drive 2011 ENIL Proposal for a Resolution of the European Parliament on the effect of cuts in public spending on persons with disabilities in the European Union http://www.enil.eu/campaigns/resolution-against-the-cuts/

16. Calls on the Member States to: • abandon all announced cuts in the funding of community-based services for persons with disabilities • to reintroduce community-based services for persons with disabilities, such as personal assistance and direct payments, which have been abolished or downgraded as a result of cuts in public spending; • to develop and implement national strategies to transfer the provision of care from institutions to the community • to develop a national policy on personal assistance for people with disabilities and to allocate funding for its implementation

17. Hearing in EP (feb 2012)

18. Ad hoc workinggroup ‘against the cuts’ (ongoing) The working group Defend the right of Independent Living is a collaboration of European Network on Independent Living, Inclusion Europe, Mental Health Europe, Autism Europe, Disabled People Against the Cuts, European Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and the European Association of Service providers for People with Disabilities, with the support of the European Disability Forum.

19. StrategyforsensitizingMEPs and realizing the resolutionproposal Lobby EP comitteeonEmployment and SocialAffairs. Oralquestion in EP (feb 2013) Goodplenarydebate, butnovote!

20. Lessons learned • How to influence EU level policymaking • Strength of alliances & cooperation • Importance to win MEPsforourcause

21. New strategy • New OralQuestion • We need minimum 40 MEPs putting their signature under the OralQuestion • Keep timing in our hands • Makeuse of pre-electoralperiod • Smart wellaimedlobbying • Massive EU wide lobby campaignby IL Movement & allies.

22. Whatnow?

23. What to do? • SpeakaboutthiswithyournationalMEPs in your meetings hereduring the FD & later. • Convincethem of the needfor EU level action to close ‘the gap’ • We want an EP resolution! • Makethemsign the OralQuestion and deliverthose to ENIL

24. Support campaign against cuts on Independent Living http://www.enil.eu/campaigns/resolution-against-the-cuts/

25. Short Q&A

26. Question 1 What negative impact (directly or indirectly) on disabled people occurred in your region/country resulting from austerity measures and cuts? …

27. Question 2 What ideas/actions/campaigns were developed by CILs and DPOs in your country to counter the cuts and to defend the right on IL? What works, what doesn’t? Can we transfer some actions to other countries to support each other in the struggle on member state level?

28. Question 3 What can ENIL do to assist and support you and your organization in fighting cuts and defending IL? Focus on specific concrete actions.

29. Thankyou !!! www.enil.eu www.dpac.uk.net