Cluster 1: Community living and choice

Most people take for granted their right to choose where and with whom they live. This right, however, is frequently denied to people with disabilities, and particularly those who have been placed under guardianship. Providing choice for people with disabilities in the living arrangements and the types of services provided is essential in empowering them to remain the masters of their lives. Living in the community means that people with disabilities can exercise autonomy in their lives just like other people. It means that they can have friends, go to the shops, and get a job – again, just like other people.

Indicators 1(A) and 1(B) identify where people with mental disabilities are required to live and the options currently made available to them in Bulgaria. Indicator 1(C) looks at legal barriers to living in the community. Indicators 1(D), 1(E) and 1(F) look at whether the Bulgarian legal and policy framework enables and supports people to choose where to live and what services they use. Indicator 1(G) looks at how people can complain about being in institutions or inadequate community services.