4.5 out of 10
Legal capacity can be fully removed. Right to vote or stand for elections can be denied. Little support available, difficult to vote in secret due to support person.
Few people with intellectual disabilities live in large care institutions, a small number live in smaller institutions and small care homes, nobody living in psychiatric hospitals. Deinstitutionalisation strategy is not implemented.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family, a small number live in their own home. Some support available for families. Disability benefits go to the person with a disability, or to family. No mechanism for quality of services.
Some children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, a small number go to mainstream schools. There is a national strategy for inclusive education.
A small number of people with intellectual disabilities work on the open labour market or work in ‘protected employment’. Some attend daycare and few stay at home. People risk losing disability benefits when they earn money. ‘Protected employment’ pays minimum wage.
Most people with intellectual disabilities have access to healthcare. There are very few measures in place to make healthcare accessible, people with intellectual disabilities have no free choice on their reproductive health. People with intellectual disabilities cannot be forcibly sterilised.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation, but there is no person with an intellectual disability on its board. PSONI sometimes receives government funding for advocacy work.
Poland European average
New large institutions are being established. Research on large institutions is conducted in a biased manner, and the conclusions serve government policies. Poland does not have a plan to close large institutions. In 2023, the concept of project-financed supported housing communities was created for people requiring intensive support. This should be a part of the system, not a project-led activity.
Poland has not signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to the CRPD. Poland lacks a law of personal assistance, a system of supported decision-making, assisted housing, a law on supported employment, a good strategy on deinstitutionalisation.
| Mainstream education | 30,199 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 35,149 |
| No education | 0 |
* Institution figures: No data available.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.
3.6 out of 10
Legal capacity can be fully removed. Right to vote or stand for elections can be denied. There is little support available to make voting accessible.
Some people with intellectual disabilities live in large institutions, very few live in smaller institutions and small care homes. Some live in psychiatric hospitals. There is a deinstitutionalisation strategy, but it is not being implemented.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family. Very few live in their own home. Some support is available for families. Disability benefits go to the person with a disability, to family or to a service provider. No mechanism for quality of services.
Many children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, very few go to mainstream schools. There is no national strategy for inclusive education.
Very few people with intellectual disabilities work on the open labour market. Some work in ‘protected employment’. Many attend daycare and some stay at home. People risk losing disability benefits when they earn money. ‘Protected employment’ pays at least minimum wage.
All people with intellectual disabilities have access to general healthcare. Little measures in place to make healthcare accessible. There is little freedom of choice in reproductive health. People with intellectual disabilities cannot be forcibly sterilised.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation, but there is no person with an intellectual disability on its board/council. PSONI sometimes receives government funding for advocacy work, but the funding is not permanent.
Poland European average
The election campaign is not accessible, party materials are not in easy-to-read, meetings with voters are not conducted in simple language. There is no civic education among this group of people. A huge problem is the residents of residential institutions who are instructed who to vote for. There are problems with maintaining the secrecy of the vote.
Poland does not have a plan for closing of the large institutions and attempts to transform them are delayed. In 2023, the concept of project-financed supported housing communities was created for people requiring intensive support. This should be a part of the system, not a project-led activity.
| Mainstream education | 30,199 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 35,149 |
| No education | * |
* Institution figures: No data available.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.