Comparative Analysis on the Implementation of Article 19 of United Nation Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Eight European Countries

The transition from institutional to community care for vulnerable people has been shaping the welfare system in Europe over the last decades. For the period of 2014-20, deinstitutionalisation became one of the highlighted priorities of the European Commission in order to promote reforms in disability and mental health care in the convergence regions, too. Between 2007 and 2013, Estonia as many other Eastern European countries implemented the first wave of deinstitutionalisation, and during the new EU budget period a second wave will be carried out in order to continue and hopefully complete the transition. In this study, we try to give an overview of the experiences of different European countries, highlighting good practices and possible pitfalls.