2008 Annual Seminar of the European Coalition for Community Living: Understanding and Implementing the UN CRPD

Living Independently and Being Included: Understanding and Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

12 – 13 September 2008, Oslo (Drammen), Norway

The objective of ECCL’s Annual Seminars is to promote good practices in the development and provision of quality community-based services for people with disabilities. Representatives of disability organisations, service providers, policy and decision makers from around Europe are invited to discuss recent developments, share good practice and identify solutions to barriers to social inclusion of people with disabilities.

Highlights of the 2008 Annual Seminar of the European Coalition for Community Living:

• Understanding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Implementing the recommendations of the European study De-institutionalisation and Community Living – Outcomes and Costs
• Overcoming challenges in the transition from institutional to community-based models of services, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe
• Delivering quality community-based services: presentation of good practice
• Developing strategies for implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Launch of ECCL’s manual on implementing change for advocates and self-advocates for community living

Keynote presentations will be given by prof. Gerard Quinn (National University of Ireland, Galway), Prof. Jim Mansell (Tizard Centre, University of Kent) and other experts in the process of change to a community-based system of service delivery for people with disabilities.

The Seminar Programme and Registration Form can be downloaded from www.community-living.info. For more information, please write to Ines Bulic, the Coordinator of the European Coalition for Community Living, at coordinator@community-living.info.

European Coalition for Community Living (ECCL) is a Europe-wide initiative working towards the social inclusion of people with disabilities by promoting the provision of comprehensive, quality community-based services as an alternative to institutionalisation. Membership in ECCL is open to any organisation or individual committed to community living for people with disabilities.

The 2008 Seminar of the European Coalition for Community Living is hosted by ULOBA – Cooperative on Personal Assistance. ULOBA was founded in 1991 and is based on the principles of empowerment, full citizenship and human rights. The cooperative is owned and run by disabled people according to the philosophy of Independent Living.