A better way to live for the disabled in Switzerland?

A popular initiativeExternal link demanding greater living choices for people with disabilities in Switzerland has collected enough signatures for a national vote.

According to the initiators, around 1.7 million people with disabilities live in Switzerland. They say they experience numerous forms of discrimination in everyday life, whether in housing, at work or on public transport. The initiative calls on the federal government and cantons to take binding measures for equality.

Switzerland ratified the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in April 2014, committing to “eliminate obstacles disabled people face, to protect them from discrimination and to promote their inclusion and equality within society”.

But the groups behind the initiative claim that Switzerland has not done enough to meet the obligations laid out in the treaty. These groups include Agile.ch, Amnesty International Switzerland, Inclusion Handicap, Foundation for Direct Democracy and Tatkraft. 

Choosing how and where to live

The initiative demands that people with disabilities, including those who are dependent on support, be allowed to choose how and where they live. Assisted living at home is already available but the initiators say it is insufficient.

The text does not address how increased assistance at home would be financed, and some conservative politicians fear that it will be unaffordable.

Swiss Public Television, SRF, asked two wheelchair-bound people for their views on independent living.