Vibeke Marøy Melstrøm, Uloba – Independent Living Norge SA, Secretary General

Uloba – Independent living Norge SA works to improve the equality of persons with a disability. They are part of the worldwide “Independent Living movement” which is run by disabled persons too. That movement is meant to increase social equality and to secure human rights for the PWDs.

Uloba has established and developed citizen-led personal assistance as an equality tool.

As one of five founders, her motivation, like the others, was to develop an assistance scheme that could make it possible to have control and management over one’s own everyday life and one’s own life, in addition to participating in society on an equal basis with everyone else.

Uloba has not received any financial support from authorities or others, but with their own efforts they established a model, which gradually provided financial opportunities to operate their company.

The Personal Assistance Services scheme is of decisive importance in her own life, as it is today for nearly 4,000 people with special needs who seek assistance.