New report reveals how 31 European countries perform on rights and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
New report shows what Europe looks like in terms of rights and inclusion for 20 million people with intellectual disabilities and their family members. The report was launched at an event organised by the European Parliament.
Read the Inclusion indicators 2024 (.pdf) report.
Key findings
Not being allowed to decide about ones’ life
- In 11 countries legal capacity can be fully removed and the right to decide is not respected.
- In 16 countries legal capacity can be (partially) removed and the right to decide is not respected.
- Only 4 countries fully respect the right to decide and should provide support in decision making.
- In 14 countries people can be denied the right to vote because their legal capacity was removed.
- In 12 countries people with intellectual disabilities are restricted to stand for elections.
All of these are violations of people’s rights as protected by law signed by these countries (UN CRPD).
Segregated in harmful places
- Over eight hundred thousand people with intellectual disabilities are in segregated “care” institutions. There are more than 10 people in one place in these institutions.
- One hundred thousand people with intellectual disabilities are in small care homes.
- Over 32 thousand are placed in psychiatric hospitals.
- 12 countries do not have a plan to close their institutions.
No place to live, support left for families to provide
- In 19 countries most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their parents.
- In 27 countries few or no adults with intellectual disabilities live in their own place.
- In 27 countries people with intellectual disabilities are likely to move into an institution after their parents can no longer look after them.
Education on a good path
- Many children with intellectual disabilities often attend ‘special education’ schools where they are segregated from other children.
- At least 5 hundred thousand children with intellectual disabilities are in special schools.
- Over 18 thousand children with intellectual disabilities are not in education.
Lack of employment opportunities
- In 29 countries few or no people with intellectual disabilities are employed on the open labour market.
- In 18 countries people with intellectual disabilities risk losing their disability benefits when they earn their own salary.
- In 13 countries adults with intellectual disabilities working in ‘protected employment’ get paid less than minimum wage.
Information on health and healthcare is often complicated
- 27 countries report that most people with intellectual disabilities have access to general healthcare.
- In 11 countries people with intellectual disabilities have no or very little freedom of choice about their reproductive health.
- In 10 countries forced sterilisation is still performed
Advocating for their rights, views and expectations
- In 29 countries people with intellectual disabilities are represented in a national cross-disability organisation.
- In 20 countries there is no person with an intellectual disability part of the council of the national organisation.
- In 13 countries our member organisations do not receive government funding for their advocacy work.
Resources
2024
- Inclusion indicators 2024 (.pdf) full report
- Online overview of Inclusion indicators
2023
- Inclusion indicators 2023 (.pdf) full report
- Français: Indicateurs d’inclusion 2023 (.pdf)