Zero Project Report 2019 Independent Living and Political Participation 66 Innovative Practices, 10 Innovative Policies, from 41 countries International study on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – “For a World without Barriers” Zero Project Director: Michael Fembek Authors: Thomas Butcher, Peter Charles, Loic van Cutsem, Zach Dorfman, Micha Fröhlich, Seena Garcia, Michael Fembek, Wilfried Kainz, Seema Mundackal, Paula Reid, Venice Sto.Tomas, Marina Vaughan Spitzy This publication was developed with contributions from Doris Neuwirth (coordination); Christoph Almasy (design); John Tessitore (editing); and atempo (easy language). Photos of Innovative Practices and Innovative Policies as well as photos for “Life Stories” have been provided by their respective organizations. ISBN 978-3-9504208-4-5 © Essl Foundation, January 2019. All rights reserved. First published 2019. Printed in Austria. Published in the Zero Project Report series and available for free download at www.zeroproject.org: Zero Project Report 2018: Accessibility Zero Project Report 2017: Employment Zero Project Report 2016: Education and ICT Zero Project Report 2015: Independent Living and Political Participation Disclaimers The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Essl Foundation or the Zero Project. The designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatso- ever on the part of the Essl Foundation concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries. The composition of geographical regions and selected economic and other group- ings used in this report is based on UN Statistics (www.unstats.org), including the borders of Europe, and on the Human Development Index (hdr.undp.org). For more information on this report, to download versions, and for further analysis of the Zero Project, visit www.zeroproject.org For information or copies, contact: [email protected] Essl Foundation, c/o Haus der Philanthropie, Schottenring 16, 1010 Vienna, Austria Content FOREWORD Martin Essl, Founder, Essl Foundation ................................... 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY About the Zero Project ..................................................... 6 About the Zero Project research .......................................... 8 About independent living and political participation .................. 10 About Innovative Practice and Policy Research, 2018–2019 ........ 14 Table: All 10 Innovative Policies and 66 Innovative Practices ........ 16 World Map of Innovative Practices and Policies 2019 ................ 18 Europe Map of Innovative Practices and Policies 2019 ...............20 Patterns and solutions identified .........................................22 About TOPHOUSE and easy language. 25 About the Zero Project–Impact Transfer programme. 26 SECTION 1: INNOVATIVE POLICIES 2019 Fact Sheets of all Innovative Policies, listed by country A–Z ....... 30 Life Stories ..................................................................36 SECTION 2: INNOVATIVE PRACTICES 2019 Fact Sheets of all Innovative Practices, listed by country A–Z ..... 44 Life Stories .................................................... 56, 70, 84, 98 SECTION 3: ZERO PROJECT–IMPACT TRANSFER About the Zero Project–Impact Transfer programme. 120 Lessons learned in the first year ........................................ 121 The process of the Zero Project–Impact Transfer programme ... 122 Overview of the 21 participants in 2018 and 2019 ................... 124 The impact that is created by Impact Transfer ...................... 126 SECTION 4: TOPHOUSE Towards person-centred housing services in Europe .............. 130 Twenty promising practices of TOPHOUSE ......................... 132 SECTION 5: EASY LANGUAGE Summary in easy language ............................................. 142 ANNEX Acknowledgements ...................................................... 153 Table: Zero Project research network 2018 – 2019 .................. 154 List of acronyms .......................................................... 160 1 “For a world without barriers” FOREWORD BY MARTIN ESSL With this, our seventh thematic report, we We catalyse innovations, inspire change, foster collabora- are already nearing the end of our second tions, and promote expertise to discover the most outstand- four-year research cycle. Independent ing innovations from around the world and to help share living and political participation, the theme them globally. In this regard, I must say that we are especially of the Zero Project Report 2019, are at the proud that the recently published UN Flagship Report on heart of the United Nations Convention Disability and Development 2018 cites the Zero Project Inno- on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities vative Practices and Policies more than 50 times. Being able (UN CRPD). And, sadly, both illustrate all to support, in whatever ways we can, the work of the United too clearly just how necessary it remains to break down the Nations in the field of disabilities is enormously important many different barriers for persons with disabilities. and rewarding to us. And we greatly look forward to helping it further, as and when we are able. Our Mission & Our Work At the time of this writing, the UN CRPD has been signed Zero Project Report 2019 by 187 countries and ratified by 177. While this is certainly As I mentioned above, we are now nearing the end of our a laudable accomplishment, the pace of implementation second research cycle. Having addressed Employment and remains woefully slow. Through the Zero Project’s mission Accessibility over the past couple of years, we will turn our of working “for a world without barriers,” we hope that we attention to Education in 2020, before embarking on our can, at the very least, help speed up this process through third four-year research cycle. innovative, impactful, and scalable practices and policies. In June 2018 we launched one of our most extensive (in six Some people still ask why we chose the four research sub- languages no less!), and ultimately most successful, Call jects that we did. The answer is simple. We believe that the for Nominations, resulting in some 320 nominations from 41 issues of Independent Living & Political Participation, Acces- countries. Since then, we have not only identified 66 outstand- sibility, Education, and Employment are all so intimately con- ing Innovative Practices and 10 Innovative Policies and experts nected and mutually supportive that, in reality, it is difficult from 41 countries, but 11 of these have also been accepted to have one without any of the others. And in the work we into the innovative Zero Project–Impact Transfer programme. do, very often the most successful Innovative Practices and Policies that we seek to communicate, and with which we Zero Project–Impact Transfer hope to inspire greater and more effective implementation of The Essl Foundation and Ashoka joined forces in 2017 to the CRPD, cut across two, or even more, of these themes – initiate the first Zero Project–Impact Transfer programme to especially as their geographical reach spreads. internationalize the most innovative disability solutions for a barrier-free world. Now in its second year, we are increas- At the risk of repeating myself year after year, I should like to ingly excited about the programme, which – building on all emphasise once again that the Zero Project is not simply the the strengths of the Zero Project and Ashoka – is supporting Essl Foundation or its core team. Rather, it is a network of these 11 Practices with the additional means and opportuni- more than 4,000 experts (of which you, the reader, are more ties to grow and scale-up their outstanding work. than likely one), both with and without disabilities, from 180 countries. It is these wonderful volunteers who have contrib- With a unique worldwide network of some 4,000 social en- uted so much in the past years, and who continue to do so. trepreneurs and a proven track record in the field of globalis- The Zero Project is a critical combination of partnerships, ing social innovation, we have been working with Ashoka for joint ventures, collaborations, and shared passions, visions, almost ten years with great success. Mentors are crucial for and activities that enables us to work so very hard to break the Impact Transfer programme, and I am personally deeply down existing barriers, to innovate, and to change the world. grateful to the numerous experienced consultants, man- agers, trainers, and entrepreneurs who are so generously As we continue to work to improve our processes, to engage participating pro bono to support these social entrepreneurs more closely with our network, and to communicate our results for a period of six months. more efficiently and effectively, I do believe we have achieved a considerable degree of success and “punch.” The feedback My personal goal, on top of our global approach, is to use from users of both the project’s reports and its website, but our research and innovators to speed up the innovation pro- especially from participants in the annual Zero Project Confer- cesses as role models here in the foundation’s home country ence, appears to provide ample evidence of its achievements. of Austria. 2 Zero Project Conference 2018: The Zero Project Conference gathered more than 600 innovators, opinion leaders, and