Nora was basically under house arrest
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- Organizations demonstrate every Thursday at the Riksdag house for the UN functional rights convention to become Swedish law, something they have done since 2023.
- Nora Eklöv, general secretary at Young Disabled People, lost her assistance when she moved and appealed the decision for two years before she was entitled to assistance again.
- Aftonbladet’s editorial page thinks that the functional rights convention should become Swedish law, which would ensure equal assistance throughout the country.
ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.
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The spring heat has not reached the Riksdag house yet. Scattered across Riksgatan are half a dozen people with leaflets in full swing. They demonstrate for their rights.
“Make the Functional Rights Convention law!” it says on the vests that shine like daffodils.
– It goes backwards instead of forwards for our rights. More and more people are getting rid of personal assistance. You get very few accompanying hours, says Sari Nykvist, ombudsman at DHR Region Stockholm.
Lunchtime every Thursday the organizations STIL, Unga reläsehindrade, Unga rheumatiker and DHR are demonstrating for the UN Functional Rights Convention to become Swedish law.
They have been here every week since 2023.
The Swedish government ratified the convention in 2008. But since it is not law, it is in practice only a recommendation. The UN has criticized us for not following it well enough.
In 80 out of 90 inspected LSS group homes, the Inspectorate for Care and Care discovered deficiencies. In January, the rent on an LSS accommodation in Nacka was increased by 146 percent.
pullquoteDuring the two years I was basically under house arrest at my parents’ house
Nora Eklöv, general secretary of Young Disabled People, sits near the Riksdag’s main entrance.
– On Öland I had assistance, but when I got my job I had to move to Stockholm. Then I lost the assistance, says Nora.
When the convention is not law, each municipality may make its own assessments of assistance. Today, they cannot count on continuing to receive assistance if they move for family, work, studies or love.
Nora Eklöv appealed her case in two different districts in Stockholm. After two years, the administrative court gave her the right to assistance.
– During the two years I was basically under house arrest at my parents’ house. It was very isolating, says Nora Eklöv.
Today, she is fighting to get the assistance hours she needs.
If the Functional Rights Convention became Swedish law, people like Nora Eklöv would be able to claim their rights more easily in court. Then the assistance must be equivalent throughout the country.
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full screenSvempa, functional rights activist from Örebro Photo: Jerker Ivarsson
“Svempa”, a functional rights activist from Örebro who does not want to use his real name, has long been involved in the issue.
– In Swedish state administration, there is no tradition of turning conventions into law. I sometimes ask myself, “should an LSS residence have to burn down with all the contents before making it a law?”
Also present is Ulf Helinder, board member of FUB Värmland. He has traveled to Stockholm just for the demonstration.
– My son has severe autism and developmental difficulties. It has gotten worse in recent years. Why shouldn’t these people have exactly the same rights as everyone else?
“The disability policy is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” it says on the government’s website. The state’s goal is to “achieve equality in living conditions and full participation for people with disabilities”.
But it does not work in practice when it is enough to move to lose one’s mobility.
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full screen Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M) Photo: Samuel Steén/TT
Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M) is responsible for functional law issues.
“We live up to the convention’s commitment to a large extent, but we still have challenges in several areas,” her staff writes via email.
Politics is moving too slowly. People with disabilities cannot wait another ten years for incremental improvements. The Riksdag has the power to secure their rights in law. Then they cannot be degraded by political short-termism or by undemocratic forces. It will become increasingly important in Sweden.
Until then, the protesters will continue to stand outside the Riksdag every Thursday.
FACT
The answer from Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall in its entirety
The silent action is outside the Riksdag. Have you ever gone out and talked to the protesters?
I have an ongoing dialogue with Sweden’s disability organizations. I have met several of the organizations behind the campaign and would be happy to meet them again.
The organization Funktionsrät Sverige believes that Sweden today does not comply The UN’s functional rights convention. How well do you think Sweden complies with the convention?
We live up to the convention’s commitment to a large extent, but we still have challenges in several areas.
The government works in various ways to increase equality across the country and there is ongoing work to live up to the convention’s commitment through the development of guidelines, assignments to various authorities, legislative changes and more. There is no end date for when we fulfill all the commitments but it is a work in progress.
Four years ago, in 2020, the Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law. The Norwegian government’s expert committee has proposed that the Functional Rights Convention become Norwegian law. Why is the UN functional rights convention not Swedish law?
In connection with Sweden acceding to the convention, a review was made of how Swedish legislation and other conditions in Sweden related to the convention, and then the conclusion was drawn that much remains to be done in disability policy work before Sweden can be considered to fulfill the commitments and requirements of the convention on all points does mean, however, that the convention would constitute an important target document in this work.
The organizations behind the action believe that the convention needs to become law in order for them to be able to demand their rights and for it to be equivalent throughout Sweden. How do you respond to their demands?
Everyone in Sweden must have the opportunity to claim their rights. If you believe that your rights have not been met, there are different bodies you can turn to, depending on what happened. For example, you can request that an authority reconsider a decision and, in most cases, have the matter tried in court. Authority decisions can also, as a rule, be appealed, where the Ombudsman (JO) or the Chancellor of Justice (JK) are important bodies.
In order to strengthen equality across the country, among other things, the proposals from the leadership investigation are being prepared, which means that the state will take over responsibility for all personal assistance.
The answers have been shortened a bit for reasons of space.
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Do you or someone you know have experience with personal assistance? What is your experience? Chat with Signe Krantz about the text. The live chat opens at 09.00, but you can submit posts already now.
Bourgeois parties’ market control of welfare has been devastating for care, school and care. But the Social Democrats are not a role model in functional rights issues either. They had eight years to make the convention law but did not act. They also saved a lot on the needy.
Vote out those in government now. They have never worked for man. Only for the banks and businessmen plus the rich.
I don’t understand that people go for their whale pork. Don’t people know history?
We, as voters, have the power.
Hans
Sweden’s aid is extremely important to protect human rights throughout the country. People with disabilities outside Europe also deserve tolerable lives. Privatization and market control of welfare have done more harm than a little more money would have helped.
It is a matter of priority; Sweden would rather send annual grants of several hundred million to poor countries than prioritize the old and sick. That’s what reality looks like.
S.N
I’m so sorry to hear that. It is not worthy. We are all human beings with rights, but in practice it doesn’t look like that. If the convention became law, I believe that such situations would be easier to prevent.
My sister, who has an intellectual disability and autism, lived a rich life during the 90s and early 2000s based on her circumstances. But from 2006 onwards, she basically lost everything: daily activities, contact person, leisure activities and socializing. Due to all the sedative medications she received instead of the care and the weekdays she is entitled to, she had a medication-induced psychosis in 2014. She now sits completely isolated in her apartment in an empty room. It is basically a storage facility, not far from the old institutional care.
therese.granwald
Lowering taxes should not be prioritized over having a functioning welfare state. But I also think that the current system can be improved.
I think it’s time to stop cutting taxes and make sure there is dignity in this society for these groups. Invest more resources and they will be better: more staff, more hours.
sosse75
It sounds very similar to Ulf’s story in the article. His son has been placed in a poorly insulated shelter and he thinks it has gotten worse in recent years. If the convention became law, I think there would be far fewer such cases.
Now sitting in a situation where all assistance hours are withdrawn from my son. He has had assistants and lived in his own apartment for 14 years. Suddenly he is better and no longer needs his assistants according to the municipality. He has rather become mentally worse and worse in mobility with age. Where are we going? Trying to fight for our son’s rights.
Gunsan64