ENIL Press Release: The Newly Established ENIL Youth Network Calls on Governments to Create More Opportunities for Young People with Disabilities and End Institutionalisation

Dublin and Strasbourg, 5^th November 2012- Between the 21^st and the 28^th October 2012, the European Network on Independent Living and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, organised a week- long study session, "Supporting Young Disabled People to Become Future Leaders of the Independent Living Movement". Held at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, the study session successfully brought together young people with disabilities from all across Europe who took part in interactive sessions, met with policy makers and shared their experiences. Based on these, they created ideas for improving the lives of people with disabilities in their countries and Europe-wide.

A key outcome of the study session was a set of recommendations to national governments adopted by the participants and presented to a group of MEPs and the Council of Europe. The aim of these recommendations, informed by the challenges these young people face in their everyday lives, is to improve the lives of people with disabilities and other marginalised groups in society. These recommendations focus on four areas, - Changing perceptions and attitudes towards young people with disabilities by the society, Education, Transition to Employment and Institutions and Independent Living. They call for the creation of educational workshops to raise awareness of situations which affect all minority groups and ask national governments to improve accessibility for all people with disabilities. They urge countries not to build any new institutions for people with disabilities using any of the disability related funds they access.

Wishing to give a voice to the issues their peers are facing, the young people that took part in the study session recommended that mainstream schools become fully inclusive of all students with disabilities, emphasising that better and continuous support would help young people finish their education. Peer Counselling and career counselling are also highlighted as important in helping to facilitate the transition of persons with disabilities from education to employment. The participants furthermore urged Governments to ensure that EU policies promoting employability of youth are for everyone, including women and men with disabilities.

The importance of Independent Living principles is central to each of the recommendations put forward by the participants of the study session. These future Leaders of the Independent Living movement have taken the first steps in creating an active ENIL Youth Network, a new platform which will ensure ENIL's work is informed by the views of young people with disabilities. To read the full list of recommendations and for more information on ENIL's work with young people, please visit our website www.enil.eu

Sent to thomaschambers@eircom.net — why did I get this?
unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences
ENIL · Ground Floor, Chase House, City Junction Business Park, Northern Cross, Malahide Road · Dublin, Ireland 17