Validity Foundation - Mental Disability Advocacy Centre

EU Legislative Interests

Validity has been engaged with numerous EU initiatives, policies and legislative files, including: - The cohesion policy, particularly as this relates to social inclusion of persons with disabilities and investments in social infrastructure - The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU as well as the Social Pillar, particularly as these promote the integration of persons with disabilities in society - Justice Programme - we have coordinated a number of initiatives co-financed by this programme focused on access to justice for children and adults with disabilities, training for lawyers and allied professionals - REC Programme - we have also coordinated a number of initiatives co-financed by this programme focused on the fundamental rights of children and adults with disabilities - CERV - the newly implemented Citizens, Equalities, Rights and Values framework, including advocating for policies concerning persons with disabilities that comply with the EU's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the obligations of EU institutions and Member States under the Charter of Fundamental Rights. - MFF - in particular monitoring and advocating for the inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities in the forthcoming EU budget period, and ensuring EU action conforms with the EU's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, along with that of its Member States.

Communication Activities

Projects co-financed by the European Union 1. Access to justice for children with mental disabilities - www.mdac.org/accessing-justice-children/ 2. Innovating European Lawyers to Advance the Rights of Children with Disabilities - www.mdac.org/innovating-european-lawyers 3. Identifying and preventing abuse of children with disabilities in institutions - www.mdac.org/charm-toolkit/ 4. Access to justice for people with intellectual disabilities - www.ajupid.eu 5. Child Friendly Justice - Developing the Concept of Social Court Practices - www.validity.ngo/projects-2/child-friendly-justice 6. Information and Communication for Victims of Crime with Disability - www.validity.ngo/projects-2/voices-for-justice 7. Changing the Accessibility of Tools for Victims (under implementation) - https://pzs.hr/popis-projekata-2022/chat-for-victims/ 8. Enabling Inclusion and Access to Justice for Defendants with Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities (under implementation) - https://validity.ngo/projects-2/enabling-inclusion-and-access-to-justice-for-defendants-with-intellectual-and-psychosocial-disabilities/ 9. Disability-based Connected Facilities and Programmes for Prevention of Violence against Women and Children (under implementation) - https://validity.ngo/projects-2/dis-connected/ 10. Linking Information for Adaptive and Accessible Child-Friendly Courts (under implementation) - https://validity.ngo/projects-2/linking-information-for-adaptive-and-accessible-child-friendly-courts/ 11. Strategic Litigation as a Gateway to address the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the European Union - https://validity.ngo/projects-2/strategic-litigation-as-a-gateway-to-address-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-the-european-union/ 12. EU Funds for Fundamental Rights (under implementation) - https://validity.ngo/projects-2/eu-funds-for-fundamental-rights/ 13. Strengthening the impact of national monitoring mechanisms in enhancing the rights of detainees with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities (March 2025-February 2027) - https://validity.ngo/projects/impact/ 14. Ensuring Access to Intermediaries for Children with Disabilities in Legal proceedings (due to initiate in March 2025-February 2027) - https://validity.ngo/projects/ensure/ 15. Empowering Communities for Intersectional Justice and Litigation (July 2025-June 2027) - https://validity.ngo/projects/equal/

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

European Network on Independent Living (associate membership) - www.enil.eu Transforming Communities for Inclusion (associate membership) - www.tci-global.org European Implementation Network - www.einnetwork.org Child-Friendly Justice - European Network (membership) - https://www.cfjnetwork.eu/ Victim Support Europe (membership) - https://victim-support.eu/ European Implementation Network (membership) - https://www.einnetwork.org/ United Nations Economic and Social Council (special consultative status) - https://docs.un.org/en/E/2023/INF/5 Council of Europe (participatory status, member of Conference of INGOs and entitled to lodge collective complains concerning violations of the European Social Charter) - https://coe-ngo.org/#/ingo/ Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalization (joint founder and member) - https://www.gc-di.org Pan-African Reparations Initiative (member) - https://www.csvr.org.za/torture-victims-have-a-right-to-rehabilitation-a-guide-for-service-providers/ Hungarian Child Rights Coalition (member) - https://gyermekjogicivilkoalicio.hu/tagjaink/szervezeteink/

Organisation Members

Stichting Validity NL is a sister foundation registered and operating in the Netherlands, supporting Validity's overall mission to promote, protect and advance the human rights of persons with disabilities internationally - registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration number 97425133, website www.validity.ngo

Additional Information

Only the portion due to Validity as coordinator or beneficiary of six EU co-funded projects (JUST, REC and CERV) are included in the calculation of funding received from the European Commission. Question 14(c): The total budget is based on audited accounts and includes the full value of consortium grant funding from the European Commission under the JUST and REC programs, in accordance with Hungarian accounting rules.