On Wednesday 20 November 2024, the European Commission released a guidance document with recommendations for Member States on the use of EU funding regarding the transition to independent living for persons with disabilities. The document ‘Guidance on independent living and inclusion in the community of persons with disabilities in the context of EU funding’ is an important next step in making independent living for persons with disabilities a reality.
All people with disabilities have a right to live independently and to be included in the community, as outlined in article 19 of the UN CRPD. According to estimates, 1.4 million persons with disabilities still live in institutions across the EU. As pointed out before, in some parts of Europe, many autistic people are often forced to live in large residential institutions, are denied their fundamental rights and are too often neglected and/or abused.
The guidance facilitates the acceleration of the transition from institutional care to community-based services and independent living for persons with disabilities by providing orientations to be adhered to when making investments with the support of EU funds. “Building on the good practices put in place so far,” the document states, “the present notice seeks to provide practical guidance on the use of EU funding to promote the realisation of the right of persons with disabilities to independent living and inclusion in the community.”
Autism-Europe promotes people’s right to live independently. Receiving appropriate support is essential. We advocate for deinstitutionalisation, the right to housing and living support appropriate to their individual needs, as well as the right of autistic people to choose their own living circumstances. We are full member and current co-chair of the European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based support (EEG). AE contributed to develop the Guidance alongside the European Commission and other representative organisations in the framework of the Disability Platform. It is now crucial that the Guidance is acted upon. Therefore, we call for it to be mentioned in all relevant legal texts, in particular regarding EU funds. Adhering to the core principles of the Guidance should become a pre-requisite for the allocation and use of EU funds.
The adopted guidance aims at supporting the realisation of the obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and is a flagship initiative of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030.