Voice of self advocates issue 16

Topic of the issue:

AUTUMN 2014

Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy Issue 16

Conference ofCroatian Self-advocates

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Living independently andbeing included in the community:

Respect us and be our support!

Living independently andbeing included in the community:

Respect us and be our support!

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EDITORIAL

EditorSenada Halilčević

JournalistHrvoje FornerSnježana KanjirFadil Špuren Nera BajzecGordana HuzekTomislav Ivašković

AsistantsAna ŠirićIvana Poslon HrvojDamjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić

This newsletter was supportedby a grant from the OpenSociety Fundations.

Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy

At the end of the first part of the conference self advocates were adressed by:

Mirjana Zećirević, assistant of the head of Croatian Employmnet Service Branka Meić Salie, counsellor of theOmbudswoman for Persons with Disabilities

We are very glad that the guests from Centers for Rehabilitation Ozalj, Zagreb and Stančić as well as the guests from Macedonian organization Solem and Slovenian association Skupaj zmoremo also participated at the conference. On the first day of the conference self advocatesheld their speeches in which they talked about their experiences and expectations related to living and working in the community.Video stories of self advocates created within the project Using Media to Advocate for Our Rights were also presented at the conference. This project was supported by a grant from Open Society Foundations.

This year again almost all politicians and decision makers left the conference immediately after their introduction speeches. Self-advocates were very dissapointed because they could not ask them the questions they were preparing for months. In the final part of the conference one self-advocate asked is there any purpose to call the politicians to our future conferences.

But we would like to point out the Disability Ombudswoman Office whose representative stayed till the end of the first part of the conference and tried to give answer to all questions of self-advocates.

Dear readers, 4 Conference of Croatian Self-Advocates was held in October.Therefore we have decided to dedicate this issueof the Voice of Self Advocates to this event.Around 120 persons from Croatia and other countries attended the conference.Entire conference was very interesting.We will try to tell you everything thatwas going on at the conference.

4 CONFERENCE OF CROATIANSELF ADVOCATES

Croatian self-advocates gathered on 10 and 11 October 2014 in Zagreb in Hotel Dubrovnik and held their 4 Conference of Croatian Self Advocates.The title of the conference was Living independently and being included in the community: Respect us and be our support!

More than 120 participants was at the conference.Majority of them were self advocates and assistantsfrom the network of Croatian self advocates.

Tomislav Ivašković, the President of the Association for Self Advocacy, opened the conference with his introductory speech.

After Tomislav introductory speeches were held by:Vesna Škulić, commissioner of the President of the Republic of Croatia for Persons with DisabilitiesIva Prpić, representative of the Ministry of Social Policy and YouthTatjana Dalić, assistant of the Minister of Labor and Pension System

Regular annual assembly of the Association for Self-Advocacywas held on the second day of the conference After the assembly 4 paralel workshops were held.

Partnership releations Security on Internet Assistants, privacy, personal freedomWhat does living independently and being included in the community mean to us?

At the very end of the conference self-advocates presented the conclusions from all workshops.

Thanks to all participants and guests, especially to volunteers for helping us in having this conference.

We hope to see you also next year in even greater number.

The conference was held within the projectExpanding of Self-Advocacy Network in Croatiasupported by a grant from Open Society Foundations.

Written by Ana Širić i Damjan Janjušević

SPEECHES OF SELF ADVOCATES

In continuation you can read the shortened versions of spechees of self advocates that were presented at the 4 Conference of Croatian Self Advocates.

MARTINA KALUĐER FROM BELIŠĆE I am a member of association Zvono and the head of Self Advocates Club.In our association we learn how to be independent as much as possible. I do different types of work.By working I acquire new experiences, knowledge and skills.In Self Advocates Club i have learnd about my rights and got a chance to fight for the realization of those rights.

SLAVEK BEŠENIĆ FROM VARAŽDINI am not happy because I am deprived of legal capacity.That is why I cannot apply for job.I want to get employed so that I can work.I want my salary.One day I wish to have my own family.I fear that I do not end up in an institution or in someone’s family.I am capable to live independently and I have proved that to everybody.

GORAN DOMAČINOVIĆ FROM SLAVONSKI BRODI have been living in community supported housing program for seven years.Before that, I was living in an institutionfor persons with mental illnesses Ljeskovica.I did not have the opportunity to get close with somebody.Nobody encouraged me to do good things.There were nobody to make friends with.People were exploiting one another. Nobody gave me the right support.Now I feel that I value as a human.People appreciate me and have trust in me.

ALJOŠA ŠVALM FROM SLAVONSKI BRODI live with my parents.I am a member of the Center for Inclusive Support for 7 years now. I think that nobody should live in an institution.Everybody should live in the community.Everybody should have opportunities to build relationships with other people, learn from them and develop their abilities.

Spending time and working in the association as well as living in the housing community helped me to realize that I want and can live with support and that I can do many things by myself.

MIA ANIĆ FROM BELIŠĆEI go to association Zvono every morning at 8h. In the association I do knitting, clay modeling, and when we go to Citadela I water plants,pluck and rake grass and I make coffee before the break. At 15h I go to volunteer in Zvono, I prepare wheel chairs for my friends, I help Zoran in walking and I lift Vlasta in the wheel chair and give her drink.I am a member of Self Advocates Club of association Zvono.In the Club we talk about independent living and what is it like to live in Belišće.

VIŠNJA NOVAK FROM ČAKOVECI live in the housing community in Čakovec.I am partially deprived of legal capacity, but since always I wanted to work.I have not succeeded in finding a job, but that is why I started to volunteer two years ago.I volunteer in Humana Nova that recycles old clothes.I like doing that a lot and I feel useful.I think it is very important that every person works.If they cannot find a real job, my advice is that they should try to volunteer somewhere.My goal is to find a real job.I am ready to learn, but no one gave me a chance so far.

ĐURĐICA NUKIĆ FROM ČAKOVECI live in the housing community in Čakovec. I have full work capacity andso far I have always worked on state subsidized job.My wish is to find a permanent job in order to be more independent.

I am employed in a service provider, where I clean.In my free time I take photos and go to library.I like going to concerts.I am independent and I make decisions about my life by myself.I wish that all persons with intellectual disabilities are given the opportunity to live in the community andthat our rights are respected.

LEO BOJČIĆ AND TATJANA BARADA FROM SPLITLeo and Tatjana are members of the association Zvono from Split.In their presentation they talked about what self advocates from Split think about living in the community. For them, living in the community means:

to live in an apartment or house, in a city or villageto have a girlfriend or boyfriend, wife or husband.to have a family, friends and neighbours to freely go where they want to goto work in the same places as all other people doto be members of associations, clubs and religion communities

Self advocates said that they cannot realize many of these rights although they are guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which was signed by Croatia.

KARLI PAVLOVIĆ FROM VARAŽDINI wonder all the time, why we persons with disabilities cannot go to elementary school with other children and why we have to learn for auxiliary proffesions.Why do we loose disability status and tax benefits when we get a job?That humiliates us and deprives us from the early childhood of the possibility to gain knowledge and have equal rights. I want to be free to make decisions about myself and my family.I see myself in my own happy family in the future.I want to work and take care of my own family.

ANKICA BOSANAC FROM GRUBIŠNO POLJEBefore living in a housing community in Grubišno polje I lived in a house with my family.I was taking care of my immobile parents for 9 years.Since I am living in Grubišno Polje I feel better, I get out more often, I go to the day center, church and library.I am also the president of self advocacy group.

DUBRAVKO JAJETIĆ FROM KOPRIVNICAI am 44 years old and I live in Koprivnica with my parents.I have finished special elementary school.I have never worked. I receive disability allowance of 1250 kuna.That is not enough for my basic life needs.I fear of going back to institution one daywhen my parents are no longer here.Due to my physhical disabilities I have to wear orthopedic shoes, but I have the right to only one pair of shoes a year.That causes me great problems, because I have to walk in the same shoes during summer and winter as well, and I don not have enough money to by one more pair of shoes.

ŽELJKO LONČARIĆ FROM KOPRIVNICAI am 37 years old and I have a disability since I can remember.I live with my mother and sister in a family house.I would like if I could to live independently and invite to my house friends that I want to hang with.I would like that people accept me the way I am andthat I can help to my friends in activities in which I am good at.

RATKO IVANOVIĆ FROM ROVINJAI am a person deprived of legal capacity.For a long time I have been working onseasonal jobs of autocamps maintenance. After my father died I gained the right to his pension.But, when I wanted to get a job again I could not do that because I would lose the right to my fathers’ pension.Since then I collect plastic bottles around those sameautocamps where I had been previously working and I do humanitarian work.To be deprived of legal capacity does not mean to be incapable for work, doesn’t it?

MONIKA MORIĆ FROM ŠIBENIKOn our meetings we talked a lot about the violation of our rights!I am happy because I lived for a short time in social care home and foster care, and now I live in a housing community.I share responsibilities with my roommates on doing household activities and Idecide by myself on how to spend my time.I am often in a library.I hang out with my friends from the brass band, go to fitness and bowling.I carry lunch to elderly and needy everyday and I am paid for doing that.I would like that all persons with disabilities have a life like this andI hope that all institutions will be closed soon!

ĐURĐA KROG FROM ŠIBENIKI am a member of the self advocacy group Šibenik.I lived before in social care home in Bratski Dolac.It was awful in there!I was not allowed to go out so I was running away!Now I live in Šibenik with my roommates

KRISTINA TEKMETAROVIĆ FROM OSIJEKI am 27 years old.I have lived with my family in Vinkovci.When I was 6 years old I had to go to live in an institution.Since 2006 I live in the supported housing program.I live in apartment with my boyfriend Karlo and two roommates.I work in DM and go to swimming trainings.I dream of Karlo and me having family one day.

KLARETA ĐIPANOV FROM OSIJEKI am 30 years old.Till I was 18 years old I had been living in a social care home for children Klasje, and after that in Čepinski Martinci in association Breza.I did not have my freedom in the social care home.Now I live in a housing community with three roommates.I have a boyfriend with whom I meet a lot.I have been working in DM for eight years now.Since 2010 I work in a sports gym as a cleaner.I can afford to travel with my salary.I feel proud becase I take care of myself.

STANKO SRŠEN FROM PLOČE I am a member of the association Radost and a self advocacy group.Spending time in the association has positive influence on me.I am the oldest member, I like to make jokes, I am independent and that is why I am a good example to my younger friends.I have failed marriage experience behind me. That is why we talk about human relationships on our meetings of self advocates.I am very sociable and accepted from my fellow citizens.I represent association Radost in my town every day.

IVAN RAKUŠIĆ FROM PLOČEI live with my parents and my grandfather.One of my wishes and needs is retrieving my legal capacity, but I do not have the support from my family in that.They think I am protected by being a user of disability allowance.I am very active in my town.

I perform various auxiliary jobs like washing and cleaning of a buses, delivery of the city newspapers, washing glasses and cleaning of a coffee bar.

I get an allowance for doing those jobs.But that allowance is not enough for independent living.My greatest wish is to become independent like every young man.I would like to have my own family, get married and live from my own work.

MUHIDIN BAJRAMOVIĆ FROM PULAThere are still many problems that Croatia has not solved.For example, Croatia signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007, and yet all adult citizens have not gained the right to vote on elections till 4 December 2012., among them me also who is deprived of legal capacity. But, I do not have the right to run as a candidate on elections, and ballots are still not adequate for persons with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, they should be customized.

When I worked as a street sweeper the bigger part of my salary was taken away from me for paying the housing accomodation costs.At the social care center they told me that I cannot live in the housing community and be employed and receive salary at the same time.This way persons who live in the housing community are not motivated for work.That is not right.

MLADEN DUKA FROM DUGO SELOI have been living in Center Stančić for over 30 years, and one year ago I moved to an apartment in Dugo Selo.I was feeling very bad in institution becauseI could not drink coffee when I wanted, choose what I will wear or eat. I had to take bathe at exactly precise time.We all had to undress naked and wait in line.That made me feel very bad and humiliated.In my apartment we have our own bathroom andI can take bathe whenever I want.I would like to send out a message to all people who are still living in institutions to get out and feel the freedom.All of them could get out they just need certain help.

PETAR BRKIĆ FROM GRUBIŠNO POLJEMother left me when I was a child.I went to special school in Daruvar.After school education I was stowing bricks on vagons in Finage.I had a wife and a child, and after some time my wife and her parents kicked me out of the house.After that I moved a lot.Today I live in a housing community in Grubišno Polje and my life is better.Every year I go to the seaside, I have friends, I work in a greenhouse and in free time I like to watch sport events.

JOINT DECLARATION OF CROATIAN SELF ADVOCATES

We are self-advocates from Belišće, Bjelovar, Čakovec, Dugo Selo, Grubišno Polje, Koprivnica, Osijek, Ploče, Pula, Rovinj, Slavonski Brod, Split, Šibenik, Varaždin i Zagreb.We discussed about many important topics for a whole year.

Very often we were returning to the Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities- Living Independently and Being Included into Community. We discussed about what this article means for us and what else should be done so that all persons with disability could realize the rights written in Article 19.

That is why we want to send a message from the 4th Conference of Croatian Self-Advocates to all people in Croatia:Living independently in community is our human right.

Still, there are lots of obstacles in real life that limit this right of ours.

In order to live independently we need a job. Without the job you cannot have your apartment, your family, your freedom.

Provide us with opportunities to get assistants and employment.We want the real job and to be paid for our work.

We want to go to regular schools! Regular schools should be open to all persons with disabilities.We do not want to be isolated in special schools.

We do not want to learn professions that nobody needs any more. Give us the opportunities to freely choose our future professions, to have education assistants and adapted school programs.

Provide us with accessible information.They are important for us to be able to make good decisions.Buildings, streets, transportation and

all other public facilities and places should be accessible to all persons regardless of the kind of disability they have.

We want to live like all other people.We do not need services and staff that decides about us and our lives.We need support and assistants who will know how to listen to us.

This year again we have to point out that we self-advocates are still prevented from getting support of personal assistants.We consider that there are no any justifiable reasons for this and that we are being discriminated this way.

If we do not have good support we cannot be included into community.We need support because we want to be independent and make decisions about our life by ourselves.

No one but ourselves should decide about where shall we live, how shall we manage our property and belongings, what shall we do or with whom shall we marry.

We are a part of community and people like you.

We want to be accepted as such and therefore

Do not discriminate us!Respect us and be our support!

SENADA HALILČEVIĆ FROM ZAGREBOn the meetings of self-advocates we have discussed many times about the problems that we face in realization of our right to live independently and be included in the community.People that got out from the institutions most oftenly complained that they still cannot manage their own money. or freely leave the apartment.Every time they have to ask the staff when they want to leave the apartment and they have to tell where they will go and when they will be back.That is not right because grown peopledo not ask for permission every time when they want to get out.

BISERKA SAMBOL FROM ZAGREBOn the first day of high school my social worker took me to special school Zajezda and just left me there.I was crying when she was leaving, I was in an unfamiliar place.I think that we can work fine and that we should be given the opportunity to earn for living.We are equally hardworking as other people and we can earn money.

Edited by Tomislav Ivašković, Senada Halilčević, Hrvoje Forner, Fadil Špuren, Mladen Katanić and Ana Širić

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ASOCIATION FOR SELF-ADVOCACY

Regular annual General Assembly of the Association for Self Advocacy was held on 11 October 2014 in hotel Dubrovnik.Damjan Janjušević, the Executive Director of the Association for Self Advocacy, presented the report on the work of the Association for Self Advocacy in the past year.From our accountant Predrag Mišćević we heard how much money has our association. Domagoj Modrušan, the member of the Managing Board, presented the work plan for the next year.After the presentations self advocates discussed about what they heard and by voting accepted all reportsand the work plan.After the official part, the President Tomislav Ivaškovićhanded the presents to our diligent volunteers andexpressed them our gratitude for their unselfish work for our association. Self advocates from Association Solem from Macedonia attended the Assembly too.They held a short presentation in which they presentedtheir self advocacy group.

Written by Senada Halilčević

3Voice of Self-Advocates










































































4 Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy




















































































































































































































































































































































































I perform various auxiliary jobs like washing and cleaning of buses, delivery of the city newspapers,


MUHIDIN BAJRAMOVIĆ FROM PULAThere are still many problems that Croatia has not solved.

the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007, and yet all adult citizens have not gained the right to vote on elections till 4 December 2012., among them me also who is deprived of legal capacity. But, I do not have the right to run as a candidate on elections, and ballots are still not adequate for persons with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, they should be customized.





















































































































































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ZABAVNIK



GORAN DOMAČINOVIĆ FROM SLAVONSKI BRODI have been living in community supported for seven years.

housing program

Before that, I was living in an institutionfor persons with mental illnesses Ljeskovica.I did not have the opportunity to get close with somebody.Nobody encouraged me to do good things.There were nobody to make friends with.People were exploiting one another. Nobody gave me the right support.Now I feel that I value as a human.People appreciate me and have trust in me.










































































































































































































































































































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GOGA’S RIDDLE Mustache it has, yet, the grandpa it is not, The milk it drinks, yet again, the child it is not? The cat

QUIZ1 What was the theme of the 4 Conference of Croatian Self-Advocates?

2 Who has won the President elections in Croatia?

3 What we celebrated on 3 December 2014

NEW ASSEMBLY ACT

The new Assembly Act came into effect on 1 October 2014.The most significant change in the new Act is that the persons deprived of legal capacity can be members of the assembly and make decisions related to the work of association by voting.Other novelty in the new Assembly Act is that the persons with intellectual disabilities can be founders of associations with the approval of their guardian.

3 members are needed to found a new association.According to new Act it is necessary that only 1 of those 3 members is a persons who has legal capacity.

Written by Ana Širić

FUN PAGES

UEFA Qualification for EURO 2016Croatia plays qualifying competition in the group H with Malta, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Italy and Norway.We already played with Malta and won with 2 to 0.We also defeated Bulgaria 1 to 0,and Azarbayjan by as much as 6 to 0.With Italy we played 1 to 1, but this match was interrupted for two times because our fans were throwing torches.Croatia played a friendly match with Argentina and we lost 2 to 1.

Written by Nera Bajzec

Voice of Self-Advocates

b) Family Acta) environmentalism c) Living independently and being included in the community

b) Kolinda Grabar Kitarović

a) Ivo Josipović c) Ivan Vilibor Sinčić

b) Valentine's Daya) Christmas c) International Day of Persons with Disabilities

18

GOGA’S RIDDLE Mustache it has, yet, the grandpa it is not, The milk it drinks, yet again, the child it is not? The cat

QUIZ1 What was the theme of the 4 Conference of Croatian Self-Advocates?

2 Who has won the President elections in Croatia?

3 What we celebrated on 3 December 2014

NEW ASSEMBLY ACT

The new Assembly Act came into effect on 1 October 2014.The most significant change in the new Act is that the persons deprived of legal capacity can be members of the assembly and make decisions related to the work of association by voting.Other novelty in the new Assembly Act is that the persons with intellectual disabilities can be founders of associations with the approval of their guardian.

3 members are needed to found a new association.According to new Act it is necessary that only 1 of those 3 members is a persons who has legal capacity.

Written by Ana Širić

FUN PAGES

UEFA Qualification for EURO 2016Croatia plays qualifying competition in the group H with Malta, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Italy and Norway.We already played with Malta and won with 2 to 0.We also defeated Bulgaria 1 to 0,and Azarbayjan by as much as 6 to 0.With Italy we played 1 to 1, but this match was interrupted for two times because our fans were throwing torches.Croatia played a friendly match with Argentina and we lost 2 to 1.

Written by Nera Bajzec


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Voice of self advocates issue 16