Meeting at ANPD

On 31.08.2016 Moldovan Elisabeta and Andreea Herbei, Ceva de Spus members, met with Mihai Tomescu, director of ANPD.
ANPD is National Authority For Persons with Disabilities and has the office at Bucharest.
It was a successful meeting because we talked about deinstitutionalisation.
We talked about the money that will be given for protected housing and independent living in community.
Money from the European Union are very few for the needs of people with disabilities.
Even if there are few money, we want them to be used well.
The money must reach the organizations with the best projects.
Us, selfadvocates, we want to express our opinion about how should be supported people with disabilities in community.
We also discussed about persons in the state institutions.
They work and must contribute 80 % of their income.
We believe that this percentage is too high and does not encourage people to work.
We proposed the law to be modified and people to contribute less.
Mihai Tomescu took in consideration our proposals .
They promised us that we would keep in touch and we can work together to improve the life of people with disabilities.

Moldovan Elisabeta
Co-president

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„Ceva de Spus” at Debrecen

During 28-30 July Ceva de Spus board and employees went in training at Debrecen.

We stayed in a beautiful area and was great to be far away from agitation, to wake up in the morning enjoying peace, sun and fresh air.

For 3 days we worked in teams, we found out new things about each other but most of all we connected as a group.

In the first 2 days we made a plan for the next years on accessibility and deinstitutionalization. We shared our dreams, fears, but most of all we established the objectives we want to reach.

We know these themes are not easy but we do our guts untill we succeed.

Of course, fun didnt missed.We ended those 3 days in the most pleasant way: enjoying a walk in the forest by carriage. 

The journey back home was filled with good music but most of all many laughs because we had to guess the songs the one who hummed the songs in headphone.

Yes, persons with disabilities can work, can have fun and enjoy life.We fight for all of these to be possible for all persons with disabilities.

Raluca Popescu

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Meeting with OSI partners at Barcelona

During 23-27 May, at Barcelona took place the anual meeting of Open Society Mental Health Initiative partners.

At this meeting participated NGOS,experts in media campaigns, movie producers and ex-activists Green Peace.

They presented for 4 days workshops where we learnt how to emphasise our difficulties in a video, how to make efficient campaigns and to use art in activism.

We presented the ROvinHUd wine fair as a fundraising idea, where we could bind passion for quality wines, with ABILITIES of persons with disabilities.

I discovered that Barcelona is very accessible for wheelchair users but doesen’t have acoustic traffic lights for people with visual impairments.

We thank to organisers that we could bind work with pleasure, and we could learn useful things. We hope to apply what we learnt at this meeting soon .

Simona Smultea
Vice-president

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Europe in Action conference in Lisbon

On 24-28 May 2016 I participated at Inclusion Europe conference.
The theme of the conference was role of Families in Promoting Inclusive Education: Kick off for Independence.
For me this conference was very intresting because we discussed about inclusive schools for children with disabilities.
Organisations of parents participated at the conference self-advocates, and professionals all over Europe.

On the second day we met the self-advocates and we prepared the EPSA General Meeting.
We visited the city hall from Lisbon.
The mayor from Lisbon talked at the meeting. After this we had a cocktail.

On the third day we visited the Oceanarium.
I was very happy to see different kind of fishes.
Then we were at the festive dinner where I met new people.

On the forth day we had EPSA’s General Assembly where we presented the activity report for 2015-2016.
Self-advocates and their support persons attended the meeting.
On the fifth day the conclusion of the conference were presented and afterward the conference was closed.
Then we went out to our homes.

Elisabeta Moldovan
Co-president

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CRJ Conference

On 29.03.2016 I was to a conference in Bucharest.
Conference took place at Palace of Parliament
And was organized by Centre for Legal Resources (CRJ).
Theme of the conference was
Reference for the operational framework and mechanisms established by law 8/2016.
For me was difficult to understand what they discussed at this conference.
The title of the conference is so difficult to understand
For persons with intellectual disabilities.
We discussed law 8 which says that monitoring institutions need to be made by an independent comission.
Independent comission doesen’t need to depend of state institutions.
At this Conference attended associations and foundations,
Representatives of Directorate for persons with disabilities,
2 senators, and from various ministries.
I liked Ms. Biro Rozalia who is chairwoman of the human rights.
She said that persons with disabilities should live in the community,
and must work efficiently with other directions for people with disabilities.
The Conference lasted one day.
These conferences should be accessible for people with intellectual disabilities.
I wish that in the future to take into account people with intellectual disabilities.

Elisabeta Moldovan
Co-president

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A new year, new beginnings

Here camed the time to stop from our daily activities and to reflect.

What we did until now, what was good, what we can make better from now.

In a warm and friendly atmoshpere, we gathered at Ambasada for a new General Assembly.

I presented the Anual report with all activities we did until now. And there were many activities.

In the same night, our team renewed.We had elections for a new secretary and elections were woned by our colleague Andreea Herbei. We congratulate her and wish her good luck. We have allot of work to do!

Of course we couldn’t end the night without to look towards future. We made an action plan with everything we want to do in 2016 for accessibility, deinstitutionalisation, raising awareness events, and strenghtening the self-advocacy movement.

We want to thank everyone who stayed close to us.

For 2016 we have many plans and our fight for a better life continues.

As long as we have Ceva de Spus!

Raluca Popescu
Co-president

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To truly see

Recently I had the chance to partipate to an open-heart event and filled with emotions. People from the Sensory Theater Labyrinth offered me to play the role of my life. It is not necessarily the desirable role but it is one that I have been forced to play, maybe to learn to really see. Although I cant see, I had the joy to see heartfelt emotions, tears , laughs, warm, simplicity,closeness, all in a stunning labyrinth.

All of these happened in the show Hospice made by Sensory Theater Labyrinth.Its not a usual theater It is rather an interaction between people and stories, all felt in the register and the viewer’s own rythm.

If you choose to be a spectator at this piece of theatre you will have the opportunity to experience different situations of life and you will find out how you are doing in relation to each. This will make you think of you and the way you react and you will get to know yourself better.

I invite you to try such an experience. If you’re curious, go to the website asylumlabyrinth.ro for more details

Simona Smultea
Vicepresident

”Hidden thoughts, real thoughts” on International Day of Persons with Disabilities

This year we celebrated International Day of Persons with Disabilities in a special way, taking care of our souls to be happy.

Our colleague Daniela Maier launched her poetry volume ”Hidden thoughts, real thoughts” in Carturesti Iulius Mall.

Sourrounded by friends, with wine and hot tea, Dana started with the poetry : „Confession” as a tribute to her mother. It was a touching moment which reached to our souls.

We all felt her excitement but in the same time the strenght of her words.The entire poetry volume was dedicated to her mother.

Unavoidable we all felt her excitement, and the feeling was nice.

I had also the pleasure to read another 2 poems like:Identity and Hidden thoughts, real thoughts

Dana succedeed very well to emphasize that persons with disabilities have ABILITIES, and we believe she is a real example.

We all left from the book launch with our soul happy.

Thank you Dana for the beautiful ABILITY you have: to get to the hearts of those who get to know you, through rymes.

Raluca Popescu
Co-president
















ROvinHUd Saloon 2015: the story goes on

The week-end of 13-15th November found us excited and enthuziastic of a new edition of ROvinHUd 2015

For 3 days, lovers of quality wines could enjoy and learn from the best Masters of Wine: Julia Harding,Caroline Gilby,Gabriella Meszaros, Yiannis Karakasis, Zoltan Kormos joined our cause and held workshops pro-bono.

Of course, Ceva de Spus self-advocates didn’t missed and we worked with volunteers from morning until night, washing 2000 glasses, checking bracelets, at dressing room, changing ice for the exhibitors and taking care of everything was needed .

This year we succeeded once again to brake barriers,overcome limits, to descover beautiful people and to show that ABILITY exists beyond every disability.

We want to thank everyone who supported us.Our souls are more rich: we have new friends who support us in our fight.

Raluca Popescu
Co-president








Community not confinement

On 14th of October, I participated at the European Parliament in Brussels at the presentation of the report Community not confinement –the role of UE to promote and protect the right of persons with disabilities to live in community”which was presented by Open Society Mental Health Initiative.

At the presentation of this report participated self-advocates from Romania and Croatia,representatives of European Parliament and Open Society Mental Health Initiative.

I talked about how important is for us to live independent, to have community based services according to our individual needs but also about the situation of personal assistants in Romania.

That was the moment when I literally started to cry,thinking about how much effort members of families from my country make when they take care of a child or young with disabilities.

I talked also about the struggle that often families and youngs have:”What will happen with me after my parents won’t be with me any longer?” Was o hard for me to ask this question,but I had to, because is a real fact for us.Unfortunately.

Not less, I said that time has arrived to change the image persons with disabilities.Having the right support,we can become valuable members in our communities and contribute just like anyone ealse.

Mrs Daciana Sarbu, presented also at the meeting, assured us of her support and reminded us that we are not alone in our fight.

It was among our less meetings when we had an open conversation, where I really felt that our voice matters and we have Something to Say!

Raluca Popescu
Co-president


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