By Themida Anthopoulou, member of the EDF Board and representative of the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organisations
At 36, my life changed overnight after a workplace accident that should never have happened.
In a single, devastating moment, my left arm was paralysed, and chronic pain became my constant companion. In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
I was angry. Shocked. Devastated. But I was alive.
I had to rebuild my life from the ground up—and my family rebuilt theirs alongside me, especially my husband and my son, whose love, strength, and unwavering support became the foundation that helped me move forward.
Eleven years later, I am not defined by what happened to me, but by what I chose to do next.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as the Chairperson of the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organizations and as a Board Member of the European Disability Forum. These roles are not about titles—they are about responsibility. And I am fortunate to share that responsibility with exceptional colleagues and dedicated partners who work tirelessly every day to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
Together, we advocate for independent living, supported decision-making, equal recognition before the law, and inclusive education—not as observers, but as people determined to turn rights into reality.
2026 is a landmark year for disability rights in Cyprus. The new unified disability law and the launch of the Supported Decision-Making Service by the Cyprus Confederation of Disability Organizations, co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus through the THALEIA 2021–2027 Programme and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare of the Republic of Cyprus, mark a decisive step towards making Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities a reality.
We stand for the right of every person to say:
This is my life. These are my choices.
Not only in theory, but in practice—every single day.
Because supported decision-making is not optional. It is essential. It is the bridge between rights written on paper and rights lived in everyday life.
This is a milestone. But our work is far from over.
Because disability rights are human rights.
Nothing about us without us.