Hungarian Self-Advocates’ Submission to the CRPD Committee on issues of Independent Living

Click here for the easy-to-read version

Hungarian self-advocates have submitted a recommendation for questions to the UN CRPD Committee. They mainly focused on Article 19 about Living independently and being included in the community.

Self-advocates stressed the following issues:

• In Hungary, there are many people with disabilities who live in large institutions. In this way it is impossible for them to live independently and be included in the community. Unfortunately, there are just a few supported living services.
• To have a paid job is essential to live independently. There are not many workplaces in Hungary where persons with intellectual disabilities could work.
• People with intellectual disabilities need to make their own decisions to be independent. Supported decision making is part of the Hungarian Civil Rights Code, but not many people with disabilities use this opportunity. Many persons with intellectual disabilities and their families do not know about it. And judges still place people under guardianship instead of telling them about supported decision making. The Government does not spend enough money on raising awareness in this matter.

You can find a detailed description of these issues and the related questions in the document submitted to the CRPD Committee.

Easy-to-read version

Hungarian self-advocates speak out

There is a group of self-advocates in Hungary.

They have said their opinion about the
United Nations Convention
on the Rights of Persons with  Disabilities.

They mainly said their opinion about one part of this document.

The part is about Independent Living.

This is what the Hungarian self-advocates have said:

• In Hungary, there are many people with disabilities who live in large institutions.

Because of this, they cannot live like they want to.

They cannot live in the community.

There are very few services in Hungary which help people with intellectual disabilities to live independently.

• It is very important to earn money to live independently.

But there are not many places in Hungary where people with intellectual disabilities can work.

• People with intellectual disabilities need to make their own decisions.

Supported decision making is in the Hungarian law.

But only a few people with disabilities use supported decision making.

Many persons with intellectual disabilities and their families do not know about it.

Many judges still put people under guardianship.

And they don’t tell them about supported decision making.

The government does not spend enough money to change people’s minds on this problem.

You can also read the long text of what the Hungarian self-advocates said.