Conference on autonomy and inclusion

The rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and

persons with mental health problems

Copenhagen, 7-8 June 2012

OBJECTIVES

The conference aims to:

  • raise awareness of the rights-based approach to disability;
  • provide an opportunity to share promisingpractice and learn from each other;
  • contribute to the development of practical recommendations for the implementation of the CRPD.

The conference will provide participants with an opportunity to discuss issues which are central to the implementation of the CRPD in the EU. While the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reports will provide an overview of the situation in the European Union, examples from Denmark and other Member States will illustrate the state of affairs at national level in greater depth. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute in the development of practical suggestions for future action.

FRA WORK ON DISABILITY RIGHTS

The conference will be an opportunity to hear about and discuss the FRA’s latest findings from its research on the social situation of people with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems. This is based on interview based fieldwork research in Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Interviews were conducted with people with actual experience of intellectual disability or mental health problems, their families and carers as well as with service providers and health, social, disability and legal professionals. The research examined past experiences of institutional care and treatment, options and challenges for independent living and access to justice for people with intellectual disabilities or mental health problems.

During the conference the findings from the FRA’s research on involuntary placement and treatment and on legal capacity will also be shared and discussed with the participants.

PARTICIPANTS

The conference aims to bring together around 120 key actors in the field of disability including: EUinstitutions and bodies (European Commission, European Parliament, the Council); International organisations (Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, OHCHR, Council of Europe); national government officials and policy makers (CRPD focal points, politicians); National Human Rights Institutions, Equality Bodies and ombudspersons; persons with disabilities and their representative organisations; service providers; civil society organisations; legal and medical professionals; and experts.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY, 6 JUNE

18.00 – 20.00Early registration

THURSDAY, 7 JUNE

8.30 – 9.15 Registration

9.15 – 9:45Welcome address

Morten Kjærum, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights

Representative from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration, Denmark (tbc)

Jonas Christoffersen, Director of Danish Institute for Human Rights

Stig Langvad, member of UN CRPD Committee and Chairperson of Disabled Person’s Organisation Denmark

9.45 – 10:00EU and the CRPD: obligations arising from ratifyingthe Convention

Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director of Directorate D-Equality, DGJustice, European Commission

10.00 – 11.15The rights of persons with disabilities to make choices about their own lives

The session will examine important issues related to:

olegal capacity,

othe right to vote, and

oinvoluntary placement and involuntary treatment.

Mario Oetheimer,Programme manager, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights

Andrea Baršová,Director of Human Rights and Minority Protection Department, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

Gábor Gombos,Member of the UN CRPD Committee

11.15 – 11.45Coffee break

11.45 – 13.00The rights of persons with disability to participate and be included in community life

This session will examine important issues related to:

oindependent living,

ode-institutionalisation,

ohaving a family, and

obullying and harassment.

Kasia Jurczak, Programme manager, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights

Corinne Clermont, Vice-president, Nous Aussi, France

Mike Smith, Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission

13.00 – 14.30Lunch

14.30 – 17.00Breakout session 1:three parallel working groups

WG 1:Right to political participation

WG 2:Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment

WG 3:De-institutionalisation

15.30 – 16.00Coffee break

19.30 Conference dinner

FRIDAY, 8 JUNE

9.00 – 11.00Breakout session 2: three parallel working groups

WG 4:Legal capacity and supported decision-making

WG 5:Having a family

WG6:Bullying and harassment

11.00 – 11.30:Coffee break

1.30 – 12.30Reporting from the working groups to the plenary

Six rapporteurs will summarise the working group discussions.

12.30 – 13.15The way forward: taking up the key issues identified at the EU level

Lisa Waddington, European Disability Forum,Chair in European Disability Law, Maastricht University

Member of the Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament, MEP

(tbc)

13.15 – 13.30Closing remarks

13.30Lunch

The conference will be held in English (simultaneous interpretation into Danish will be provided in plenary and in one of the working group rooms). Real-time transcription will be available in the plenary.

Conference on AUTONOMY AND INCLUSION

The rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and persons with mental health problems

Copenhagen, 7-8 June 2012