“The most important thing is not to be afraid of us”: The life story of Sándor Harmati

Sándor Harmati (1957–2020) is one of Hungary’s best-known self-advocates, a participant and speaker at numerous Hungarian and international conferences. He was committed to abolishing guardianship and building a Supported Decision Making system in order to enhance the self-determination of disabled people. In June 2019, we had the honor of being the guests of Sándor, listening to his life-story and reading his precise, handwritten diaries. This text is an edited version of an interview of several hours.