NEARLY 12,000 PEOPLE SUPPORTED THE NATIONAL CIVIC INITIATIVE 7000 FOR THE ABOLITION OF INTERDICTION

Roza is the second child in her family. She was born with cerebral palsy. She attended first a mainstream school and later a special needs school. She is literate, reads a lot, and is curious about many topics. Her difficulty lies in a mild intellectual disability. Now in her 40s, she and her mother manage on their own, though not without hardship. Roza has an older brother who lives with his own family. He is more interested in the family apartment than in his mother or sister. He pressures their mother to sell the apartment and place Roza in an institution. He’s simply waiting for their mother to pass away so he can place Roza under interdiction and send her to a care home. He periodically calls them and sarcastically reminds them, “Your law still hasn’t passed.”

This is one of many stories that keep us going, tirelessly, no matter how difficult the journey. Six years ago, we started with “pilot projects”,  initiatives that still lack formal legal recognition, to offer a more just and dignified alternative for protecting the rights of one of the most vulnerable groups: people with intellectual disabilities and mental health conditions.

Here’s what we’ve done over the years:

• We started implementing support measures, instead of restrictive ones, in decision-making with 40 individuals.
• These pilot projects (in Sofia, Plovdiv, Dobrich, Vidin, Lovech, and Bobov Dol) now support over 150 people who face challenges due to their disabilities, are already under incapacitation, or are at high risk of being placed under it.
• Over 1,500 families and close relatives took part in our initiatives.
• Two exhibitions on the topic reached five continents. We made several short films and held 100 public events with over 3,000 participants, along with numerous media appearances.

And now, we’ve added something big:

• Over the past three months, we channeled our civic energy to share the message that an alternative to interdiction exists and to inspire thousands to support our call for change. And we did it! In more than 15 cities (Sofia, Kyustendil, Bobov Dol, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Ruse, Varna, Dobrich, Lovech, Vidin, Silistra, Veliko Tarnovo, Targovishte, Velingrad, Blagoevgrad, Gabrovo, Vratsa, and others), over 20 civil society organizations – alongside countless advocates, self-advocates, and volunteers – gathered nearly 12,000 signatures in support of the abolition of guardianship and the introduction of supported decision-making. The petition was officially established on March 27, 2018, by an Initiative Committee of parents of people with disabilities, convinced that with appropriate support and legal protections, people with intellectual and mental health challenges can actively participate in decisions about their own lives and should not be condemned to civil death through interdiction.

Thousands of people who signed the petition shared this belief.

Over the last three months, thousands have come to understand why it’s important to support, not restrict, people with disabilities. They saw that the interdiction system, in place since 1949, does more harm than the disabilities themselves. They realized there is an alternative. Amid the momentum of collecting widespread support, some of the most moving moments came during the campaign events where people met the self-advocates, young and old, who speak up for themselves. Their conversations about what they can do, and what they need to thrive, their interactions, and the joy of being understood were deeply meaningful. The enthusiasm of students from various cities was especially inspiring – they not only joined the petition but actively shared the cause, collected signatures, and volunteered at events. Motivated by a genuine desire to help and take civic responsibility, their energy was contagious. We were also pleasantly surprised by letters of support from Bulgarians living abroad. One of the strongest messages from these past three months is that civic action matters.
It reminds decision-makers of the issues that are truly important, offers concrete solutions, and sets an example of what responsibility looks like.

“We cannot afford to live in a country where interdiction still exists.” “As a society, as parents, as human beings, it is unacceptable in the 21st century to treat people with difficulties as objects, not as people.” “I can cope if someone is there to support me!”
“Together, we can do anything!” These and many other powerful statements were heard from people who supported the petition for the abolition of interdiction and the adoption of the draft Law on Natural Persons and Support Measures in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. Because of them and because of the over 7,000 people currently under interdiction in Bulgaria, we believe that change is now irreversible.

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In Bulgaria, over 7,000 people are placed under interdiction. They are not allowed to work, marry, or decide where and with whom to live. The legal introduction of supported decision-making will allow people with disabilities to actively participate in decisions about their lives. This petition was organized under the Law on Direct Participation of Citizens in State and Local Government and seeks to establish a new legal framework that guarantees equality before the law for all. After the petition is submitted to the National Assembly, a three-month period begins in which MPs are required to take a formal stance on the proposal for the adoption of the Law on Natural Persons and Support Measures. For more information about the initiative, visit: www.7000.world