O Decree-Law No. 129/2017, on 9 October, approved the ‘Model Support for Independent Living’ (MAVI) programme, which aims to contribute to the realisation of the right of persons with disabilities to live independently.

The MAVI program is based on the provision of personal assistance to people with disabilities or disabilities, through Independent Life Support Centers, CAVI, for the performance of activities of daily living and mediation in diverse contexts that, due to the limitations arising from their interaction with the conditions of the environment, they cannot perform by themselves.

MAVI is a basic instrument to guarantee people with disabilities or disabilities access conditions for the exercise of their citizenship rights, and for participation in the various contexts of life, on an equal basis with other citizens.

The institution of this program represents a paradigm shift in public policies for the inclusion of people with disabilities, since it seeks to reverse the trend of institutionalization and family dependence.

Decree-Law No 129/2017 of 9 October 2017 is based on the assumption that there is no duplication of public support provided to persons with disabilities, namely between residential-type responses and MAVI. However, the Government subsequently considered that the right to opt for an independent living project should be ensured by providing personal assistance rather than residential support.

This model materializes through the creation of Independent Life Support Centres (CAVI), which are the structures responsible for providing personal assistance to people with disabilities (Article 20(1) of Decree-Law No 129/2017 of 9 October 2017).

The Independent Living Support Model (MAVI) pilot project ran from 2018 to 2023 with 35 CAVIs, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).

Given the end of the programming of projects financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) under Portugal 2020, transitional protocols were concluded between the entities with CAVI and the Instituto da Segurança Social, I.P. (ISS), which would ensure the continuity of support in personal assistance, in the same terms, through the financing of the ISS, IP.

A Ministerial Implementing Order No 415/2023, of 7 December, with effect from 1 January 2024, consolidated MAVI as a social response and established the conditions of creation, installation, organisation and operation to which the social response must conform personal assistance service to support the person with disabilities or incapacity that is based on the development of the Support Model for Independent Living.

With a view to operationalising the "Model for Supporting Independent Living", the Governing Board of the INR, I.P., in conjunction with the ISS, IP., within the scope of the competences assigned, approved by decision and provides, as instruments for the exercise of the activity of personal assistance:

• Deliberation No 13/2024, MAVI – Personal Assistance Plan
• Deliberation No 14/2024, MAVI – Personal Assistant Skills Profile
• Deliberation No 15/ 2024, MAVI – Personal Assistant Identification Card

Legislative framework

• Decree-Law No 129/2017 of 9 October 2017 - Approves the ‘Model Support for Independent Living’ programme, MAVI, Personal Assistance
• Ministerial Implementing Order No 342/2017 of 9 November 2017 Approves Criteria, Limits, and Ratios Necessary for the Implementation of Decree-Law No 129/2017
• Decree-Law No 27/2019 of 14 February 2019 - Amendment to Decree-Law No 129/2017 of 9 October 2017
• Ministerial Implementing Order No 415/2023 of 7 December 2023 – Approves the ‘Model for Supporting Independent Living’ as a social response.
• Ministerial Implementing Order No 79/2024/1 of 4 March – Amendment to Ministerial Implementing Order No 415/2023 of 7 December 2023.
• Order No 3819/2024 of 9 April - Establishes the terms of organization and operation of the national multidisciplinary team to support the Support Model for Independent Living.
• Order No 4159/2024of 16 April - Establishes the national coordinating body of the Support Model for Independent Living,
• Order No 4157/2024, of 16 April - Defines the activities to support formal education, within the scope of the activities provided for in Article 5 of Ministerial Implementing Order No 415/2023 of 7 December 2023, as amended.