Ulla Topi’s speech about self-advocacy, policy success, and what her hopes are for people participating in the Ulla Topi traineeship in inclusive policy-making.
Ulla Topi spoke at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels, during which Inclusion Europe announced the Ulla Topi traineeship in inclusive policy-making.
Ladies and gentleman.
I remember very vividly when I was elected as the first president of the European Platform of Self Advocates in 2001 in Milan.
You had to be always ready for the responsibilities it came with. You had to have an opinion for every topic of discussion, including deinstitutionalisation, employment and marginalisation.
Right after I was elected, we started planning next year’s conference for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where the topics were about people with intellectual disabilities making their own decisions and condemning discrimination.
At that time, supported decision-making and personal assistance came to my attention. I remember thinking: “Oh, how I wish both of these things could be implemented in Finland.”
And so it went that both got into legislation in Finland. Personal assistance in 2009, and supported decision making in 2025. In Finland the Act on the Support and Services for Persons with an Intellectual Disability has been partly changed and now every person with a disability is regarded as equal. The Act is now free of the medical diagnosis.
Social security and the economy were topics of discussion back then as well.
I have to admit that going from thinking about Finland’s population of thousands to Europe’s scale of millions was a huge step in my advocacy career.
I thank you for this accolade, this special honour you’ve given me.
I hope that the people who choose this trainee program and learn about self-advocacy will agree with me that everyone should have their own say on the decisions that affect their own lives.
We for ourselves!
“We for ourselves!” is the English translation of the name and slogan of the Finnish self-advocacy organisation, Me Itse ry
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