Voice of self advocates winter 2013

Topic of the issue:From institution into community

Winter 2013

Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy Issue 13

2 Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy

EDITORIAL

EditorSenada Halilčević

JournalistsHrvoje FornerSnježana KanjirFadil Špuren Gordana Huzek

AssistantsSanja HotkoIvana Poslon HrvojDamjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić

This newsletter was supported by a grant from the Open Society Fundations and City of Zagreb.

Dear readers,first of all I would like to wish you a Happy New Year!In Croatia has started the process of moving out of persons with intellectual disabilities from institutions. That means that persons who lived so far in institutions are going to live in a community based services.That is why we have decided to inform you more about this topic.I hope that this issue of our magazine will be interesting to you.

TOPIC OF THE ISSUE:FROM INSTITUTION INTO COMMUNITY

Persons with intellectual disabilities were considered less worthy throughout history and they were unable to realize their rights. They were excluded from society as unwanted persons and they lived in institutions.

Fortunately, that kind of thinking is changed.When the human rights movement spread, states started to pass documents and laws that more protected persons with disabilities.

Although some laws have changed, they were not fully respected. It was considered that persons with disabilities needed to be protected by excluding them from society and placing them in institutions.

That is why persons with intellectual disabilities andtheir families organized protests.Thirty years ago, in developed countries started discussion about deinstitutionalization. Deinstitutionalization means shutting down of institutions andproviding community based services.Deinstitutionalization started in the United States of America.





Although some laws have changed, They were not fully respected. It was considered that persons with disabilities needed to be protected by excluding them from society and placing them in institutions.






Although some laws have changed, They were not fully respected. It was considered that persons with disabilities needed to be protected by excluding them from society and placing them in institutions.


When persons with intellectual disabilities started to live in a community, to attend regular schools and to get jobs, they got bigger opportunity to make decisions about themselves and their life.With inclusion into community, other people also get the chance to meet persons with intellectual disabilities,

Also it became clear that life in a community costs less than life in an institution.

SITUATION IN CROATIA

Croatia started the process of moving out of persons with intellectual disabilities from institutions.The goal of moving out is to include people with intellectual disabilities into supported living in a community.

Currently, users from Centre for rehabilitation Zagreb and Centre for rehabilitation Stančić are going to live in a community. Those are two biggest institutions according to the number of users with intellectual disabilities.

The process of moving out from institutions and inclusion into life in a community costs a lot of money.That is why Croatia got part of the money for inclusion of people from institution into community from Open Society Institute.This money provides moving out for 90 people from institutions and their supported living in community homes.

Employees of these institutions attend trainings for personal assistants and support persons who will provide support for the users.Also, users themselves are being prepared for organized living in a community homes.

Inclusion of people into supported living in a community started at the middle of the last year.All users have support 24 hours a day.

3Voice of Self-Advocates






The process of moving out from institutions and inclusion into life in a community costs a lot of money.That is why Croatia got part of the money for inclusion of people from institution into community from Open Society Foundations..This money provides moving out for 90 people from institutions and their supported living in community homes.








The process of moving out from institutions and inclusion into life in a community costs a lot of money.That is why Croatia got part of the money for inclusion of people from institution into community from Open Society Institute.This money provides moving out for 90 people from institutions and their supported living in community homes.



Users who move out from institutions have the possibility to go to live in a community in which they lived before. That way they can be closer to their families and friends.Partners have the possibility to go to live in a same home.By the end of the last year 95 users from both institutions were included into supported living in a community.

Persons who go into supported living in a community choose where and with whom they want to live, when and what they want to eat and when and with whom they want to make friends.They can make many other decisions by themselves.That way they have bigger control over their lives.

Written by Senada Halilčević i Sanja HotkoSource: Ministry of Social Policy and Youth

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIGHT TO SUPPORTED LIVING IN A COMMUNITY

In the past 30 years many persons with intellectual disabilities from all around the world moved out from institutions and now they live with support in a community.

Persons with intellectual disabilities themselves and their parents contributed to the closing of institutionsThey fought together for the right of persons with intellectual disabilities to live in a community equally like all other people. They also asked for the right to support for living in a community.These rights were later written in the laws

In closing of the institutions was important to respect 4 rules:human rights right to independence right to chooseright to inclusion



Written by Senada Halilčević i Sanja HotkoSource: Ministry of Social Policy and Youth



Persons with intellectual disabilities themselves and their parents contributed to the closing of institutionsThey fought together for the right of persons with intellectual disabilities to live in a community equally like all other people. They also asked for the right to support for living in a community.These rights were later written in the laws





Written by Senada Halilčević and Sanja HotkoSource: Ministry of Social Policy and Youth



Persons with intellectual disabilities themselves and their parents contributed to the closing of institutions.They fought together for the right of persons with intellectual disabilities to live in a community equally like all other people. They also asked for the right to support for living in a community.These rights were later written in the laws.



Besides of USA persons with intellectual disabilities were included into communities in Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Australia and New Zealand.

Moving out from institutions and inclusion into community in the beginning was not going easy.Many parents were worried.They thought that it was the best for their children to live in an institution.They thought that institution was the safest and most comfortable place for them.

But, after some of the persons came out from institution and started to live in a community many parents changed their opinion.

They had more possibilities for everyday choice, they could choose what would they want do and where would they want to go during the day.They had more friends and were more included in activities of the community.They learned new household skills and they learned to take care of their own health.Family and relatives could visit them more.

to support for the things they needed.

The importance of inclusion and living in a community was also recognized by UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

to provide support to every person with disability for living in a community.

We also hope that less and less persons in Croatia will live in institutions, and that with support more and more persons will come to our neighbourhood, schools, streets and all other places which were inaccessible to them so far.

Written by Ivana Poslon Hrvoj




























ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES OF SELF ADVOCATES

NENAD SEKUŠAKI was in Sloboština for 7 years.I went to the institution after the war because my father died and there was nobody to take care of me.When I arrived after the war to Sloboština it was good to me there, but then my life in the institution became harder and harder.I was fed up with accommodation and life in the institution.I was thinking about the possibility to live in a community, I became self-aware.I made a decision „I would like to live my life like everybody else!“I came home and said to my mother, my guardian, that I do not want to live in the institution anymore and that I want to live in a community.I took her to my social worker to talk.Social worker Stjepen helped me to get out of the institution. Supported housing programme gave me the opportunity to live in a community.Now I can go to the store by myself, I can cook with assistants, nobody restricts my freedom and I can go to the town by myself.My support taught me all this.I still have to learn to read and to wright.All people have the right to live where they want and they should not live in institutions. All institutions should be closed and should not be given money.The state must not give them money.Now I am very happy, I wish to stay in community forever.I wish to live with my wife one day.

TOMISLAV IVAŠKOVIĆI had family problems and my parents sent me to an institution.I spent three years in Prekrižje.I had to work there but I was not receiving any money.











I had no privacy. I did not like that we spent a lot of time in a room.I wanted to cook but I was not allowed.I did not like it there.Tina from inclusion got me out.Now I live in a supported housing programme and my life is good now.I have my freedom and I can do what I want.In my free time I do sports.I think that closing of institutions is good, so that people can live in houses with supportThat is their right.Every man has the right to live where he wants.

ROMANA POSAVECI had been living for 20 years in institution Jaškovo near Karlovac.In institution I could not move freely.I had to report myself every time when I wanted to get out.Also, I could not make my own decisions. I did not have my privacy because there was 10 of us in one room. My husband and I wanted to make love.

But we made love anyway.It was hard for me because I was separated from my mother.I worked in the kitchen.

costs, and allowance money I was receiving from my mother.I did not like to be in institution, but I had to be because my mother worked in Germany.I think that in institutions human rights are violated.People should live in homes in a community.That means that people can freely move.People in homes have their privacy, their freedom, they can go out when they want and they can return home when they want.I think it is good that institutions in Croatia are closing.







ROMANA POSAVECI had been living for 20 years in institution Jaškovo near Karlovac.In institution I could not move freely.I had to report myself every time when I wanted to get out.Also, I could not make my own decisions. I did not have my privacy because there was 10 of us in one room.My husband and I wanted to make love.







SNJEŽANA KANJIRI live with my parents, but I would prefer to live alone by myself so that I can do what I want and return home when I want.It would be good if there were no guardians, that they do not make decisions instead of me.I would also like that people get out from institution and that they live their life independently in their homes. They should be provided with support to adjust to independent living and their wishes should be respected.Some of them will need constant support. All institutions should be closed so that nobody goes there ever again.

FADIL ŠPUREN BRACOI live in a home in Mandaličina 13.In institutions persons with disabilities can not make their own decisions.

They decide when persons will go to sleep, have breakfast, lunch and dinner. People are also not allowed to go out of institution when they want,

I think that persons who live in institutions do not have their rights.All institutions need to be closed so that persons with intellectual disabilities live in homes like everybody else.They will need support because they were in institution, to help them learn where the stores and transport services are, to teach them housework and to make decisions.Croatia signed Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities which says that everyone has the right to live in a community.This means that all institutions should be closed and that the state needs to give homes and support for living in a community to persons who are moving out from institution. I would like to say that the rights from Convention signed by Croatia should be respected.















VESNA ŠOŠTARECI had been living in Stančić from 2006 until 2011.It was not very nice for me.I did not like the people and the food.

it was expected from me to do more than I could.Big support for me there was my friend Krešimir.

everything, tell my sorrows and he sympathized with me. If I were crying he would always console me. Krešimir was my best friend.

Happens what happens, I am going!Now I live in apartment in Dubrava with Krešimir and Damir.We have support that helps us in buying groceries and housework.The most of decisions we make by ourselves.It is very nice for me to live in apartment.In my opinion it is good that institutions are closing so that there are less expenses and that persons with disabilities who lived in institution learn to live on their own.

HRVOJE FORNERI lived in Brezovica when I was younger.I would not like to go back to institution.That is over.I do not have very good memories from that period.In Brezovica i was helping to clean.In free time I was drawing.Now I live in Mandaličina street with Marko, Tomo and Nikola.It is good to me living with them and in a community.I like to cook, look web pages on a computer and go to church.I can go where I want, but I just have to notify my assistant. The support that will enable persons with disabilities for independent living is necessary.The closing of institution is good because that way persons with disabilities will be able to live in a community and to have freedom like all other people.






Interview with self advocates held by Mladen Katanić














T.K.I have been living for several years now inone institution in Zagreb.In institution I have to go to sleep at 10 o'clock.At 7 o'clock is waking up time.I do not have the freedom to move freely and my wishes are not respected.I think that all people have the right to live in a community.It is good that institutions are closing down because I will have better life in a community than in institution.

Z.K.I live in one institution in Zagreb. I like it there because i have good friends,I work and I am learning informatics.

I would like to live in a community to have the right to choose.I think that closing down of institutions is good because I will go to live in an apartment.

M.M. I also live in institution in Zagreb.I do not like it there because I do not have the right to walk through the city by myself and I do not have the right to go to the store by myself.I have to go to bed at 10 o'clock, but I would like to stay awake and wright, work on a computer and go to Internet.I would like that institution closes down and that we all go to live in a community.It will be better for me in a community because I will have the right to go by myself

my friends.

D.K.I also live in institution in Zagreb.It is nice to live there because I have friends that help me when I cannot do something on my own.

T.K.I have been living for several years now inone institution in Zagreb.In institution I have to go to sleep at 10 o'clock.At 7 o'clock is waking up time.I do not have the freedom to move freely and my wishes are not respected.I think that all people have the right to live in a community.It is good that institutions are closing down because I will have better life in a community than in institution.

Z.K.I live in one institution in Zagreb. I like it there because i have good friends,I work and I am learning informatics.

I would like to live in a community to have the right to choose.I think that closing down of institutions is good because I will go to live in an apartment.

M.M. I also live in institution in Zagreb.I do not like it there because I do not have the right to walk through the city by myself and I do not have the right to go to the store by myself.I have to go to bed at 10 o'clock, but I would like to stay awake and wright, work on a computer and go to Internet.I would like that institution closes down and that we all go to live in a community.It will be better for me in a community because I will have the right to go by myself

my friends.

D.K.I also live in institution in Zagreb.It is nice to live there because I have friends that help me when I cannot do something on my own.


NEWS

The announcement of the round table in Croatian ParliamentAssociation for Self Advocacy in cooperation with association GONG and Ombudsman for persons with disabilities will held round table on changes in the Family Act.Round table will be held 24.2.2014. in Croatian Parliamentunder sponsorship of Health and Social Policy Committee.Association for Self Advocacy and GONG think that Family Act does not fully respect UN Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities.That is why representatives of associations will give proposals tochange parts of the act so that persons with intellectual disabilities getmore freedom in decision making.Representatives of associations, self-advocates and experts will talk at the round table. Self-advocates will share their life experience.

Written by Mladen Katanić

It bothers me that we have to go early in the bedand I would rather watch television. I am not allowed to get out of the institution by myself.I think more people should live in the community to have more friends, spend time with them and go out when they want.

I think this will not be possible while I live in the institution and that is why I hope I will be able to live in the community.

of names and surnames of people who live in institutions.We did that because we are afraid that some statementsof these people could cause them the inconvenience.



Referendum on marriageReferendum on marriage was held on Sunday 1.12.2013. At referendum citizens directly decide about some important issue.This was national referendum.This means that all citizens of the Republic of Croatiadecided about marriage issue.

The referendum on marriage was third national referendum.

independence of Croatia and about accessing to the European Union.At this referendum citizens decided about changing theCroatian constitution in a way that in the Constitution writesthat marriage presents union of woman and man.Association for Self Advocacy was against this proposal.We believe that every person has the right to marryregardless of whether it is attracted by women or men.

However, referendum question passed.In the constitution will write that marriage can only be union between woman and man.

We can only hope that next referendum will not restrict the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities and others.

Written by Fadil Špuren

Lecture at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation SciencesSelf-advocates Fadil Špuren and Snježana Kanjir held lectures on legal capacity to the students of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences.Self-advocates said that majority of persons with intellectual disabilities are being deprived of legal capacity.That is why we can not realize many of our rights that are written in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.


For example:we can not get marriedwe can not get a jobwe can not run for president of our organizationwe can not vote in our organizationwe can not decide where and with whom we want to live.

That way our rights are still being violated.How do we make decisions? What support do we need? What is the role of guardians?

Students were interested in all these issues and they had a lot of questions.Pleasant talk with students that marked the end of the lecture proved to us that persons with intellectual disabilities are getting more and more accepted as equally precious persons who have the same rights like everybody else.

Self-advocates from city of Grubisno Polje wrote us!We are self-advocates from city of Grubisno Polje.Every week we gather at meetings.We talk about our rights and barriers in the community.Our assistant is Tihana.We like to come to meetings to get useful information. Our meetings contribute tobetter lives in the community.We would like to get help from wider community to realize our rights.

How did we celebrate the New Year’s EveAssociation for Self Advocacy and Association for Promoting Inclusion organised celebration of the New Year’s Eve.It was nice to see familiar faces in a joyous party ambient.











Every one of us was dancing to the rhythm of loud joyful music.At the struck of midnight we sprinkled bubbly champagne wishing that the whole 2014 be happy and full of joy.

We wish you a great 2014.

Written by Snježana Kanjir

FUN PAGES

RECOMMENDATIONFebruary is the month of Carnivals!

All this marks the merriest month of the year.The largest carnival in Croatia is in the city of Rijeka.Rijeka's carnival holds from 17.1. until 5.3.

other countries will participate at this carnival.It is a special experience to participate in international parade that will be held at Sunday 2.3.2014. at 12 o'clock.Carnivals will be held in other cities too.Check out for carnival in your cityand transform into other desired character, at least for one day in year.


ZABAVNIK




FUN PAGES







FUN PAGES




QUIZ1 Why do we need legal capacity?

2 Who is the best world football player of 2013?

3 Which food has vitamins?

Written by Fadil Špuren and Snježana Kanjir

WORDSEARCHFind these words in the wordsearch







b) Christian Ronaldo

a) Maradona c) Goran Ivanišević

b) to vote a) to get married

c) for dance

b) candies a) sandwich c) vegetables

COMMUNITYSUPPORTBUYINGCOOKINGFRIEND

JOBCINEMAMOVINGROOMMATESAPARTMENT

GOGA'S RIDDLE

without wings or feathers? Cloud!





Created by Mladen Katanić


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ADVICE CORNER

QUESTIONI have a friend with whom I fell in loveand would like her to be my girlfriend.But others always told me that love relationships are not for me and that I should not have a girlfriend.How far can go my relationship with her?

ANSWER

Relationships that we have with other people are important part of our lives.Healthy love relationships are based on friendships.Your relationship with your friend can go as far as you both want it to go.It is important to be honest, to respect and trust each other.Body intimacy such as holding hands, hugging, kissingor even making love shows how much comfortable you feel together. But, body intimacy can come only when both of you are prepared for this.

Bleiweisova 13, 10 000 ZagrebPhone: 01 555 66 80, Fax: 01 555 66 89E-mail: [email protected]

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Voice of self advocates winter 2013