Celebrate European Independent Living Day 2021 with us
Join Uloba, ENIL and disability activists from across Europe to celebrate European Independent Living Day 2021.
Every year, the European Independent Living Day brings together disabled people, activists and supporters from across Europe. Join us in celebrating the rights, freedom and opportunities that the Independent Living movement has worked for over decades.
What is European Independent Living Day?
The 5th of May marks the European Independent Living Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of Independent Living and disability rights throughout Europe. Independent Living is based on a simple principle: disabled people should have the same rights, choices and opportunities as everyone else. This includes the freedom to decide where to live, how to live and how to participate in society. That is why this day is about more than celebration. It is also about visibility, equality and human rights.
Join our European webinar
To mark European Independent Living Day 2021, Uloba – Independent Living Norway, the Independent Living Institute in Sweden and the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) are hosting a special webinar.
This year is especially important because Uloba is also celebrating 30 years as an Independent Living organisation. Together, we want to highlight our shared history and demonstrate the strength of the international Independent Living movement.
During the webinar, participants will learn more about:
- future priorities for the movement
- the history of the Independent Living movement
- the creation of ENIL
- disability rights advocacy in Europe
- current equality challenges
Meet leading Independent Living advocates
The webinar features several influential voices from the European Independent Living community. Among them is Adolf Ratzka, one of the founders of ENIL and an important advocate for personal assistance and Independent Living in Scandinavia. The audience will also hear from Vibeke Marøy Melstrøm, Secretary General of Uloba.
Additional speakers include:
- Jamie Bolling
- Kapka Panayotova
- Nadia Hadad
- Miroslava-Mima Ivanovic
- David Lega
Together they will discuss solidarity, activism and the future of disability rights across Europe.
Link to The European Independent Living Day Facebook event.
Click here to watch the webinar on Youtube live stream.
Celebrating movement
We wish to take you on a virtual journey to examine the situation for disabled people throughout Europe today. Disabled people from several European countries has graciously sent us their video greetings offering us a valuable look. Through our hour and a half we also want to find out which issues are particularly important to us all right now and in the years to come.
ENIL has dedicated this year’s edition, the 8th, of The Independent Living Day to the idea of movement or mobility in a broader way. Among other issues we will discuss along with ENIL and ILI is the impact that the Covid-19-pandemic has had on the day to day lives of disabled people. For many of us the isolation that the world has had to tackle in the past year is not a new occurrence. This includes disabled people living in institutions. And as this year’s celebration will have to be digital, together we want to create a sense of commitment. We want to continue raising awareness of our human rights and our freedom of movement even after the pandemic.
ENIL will be looking out for these hashtags throughout the day: #ThisIsHowWeMove and #ILDay2021
How to sign up
The webinar will be accessible as a live stream. To join us, please follow this link. Our celebration will be accessible to screen reader-users and subtitled in English. There will also be sign language interpretation.
European Independent Living Day is a celebration of freedom, equality and community. Join disabled people, allies and organisations from across Europe as we celebrate the achievements of the Independent Living movement and continue the fight for equal rights and opportunities for all.
