Brussels,

Persons with disabilities

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The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is the first international, legally binding instrument setting minimum standards for rights of people with disabilities, and the first human rights convention to which the EU has become a party.
The UN Convention says that persons with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. It also tells how countries can protect these rights.

For the EU, the convention entered into force on 22 January 2011. All EU Member States have signed and ratified the convention. 22 EU countries have also signed and ratified its optional protocol in January 2019.
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This means that every EU country must protect the rights of persons with disabilities. 22 EU countries have also signed and ratified its optional protocol, which establishes an individual complaints mechanism for the Convention. The European Commission coordinates the implementation of the Convention at EU level.
UN Convention
Strategy 2021-2030
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European Disability Expertise
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Accessibility Standardisation
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Access City Award
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European Disability Card and  EU Parking Card
In March 2021, the European Commission adopted the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030. With this ten-year strategy, the European Commission wants to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in Europe and around the world.
The Strategy builds on the results of the previous European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, which paved the way to a barrier-free Europe and to empower persons with disabilities so they can enjoy their rights and participate fully in society and economy. Despite the progress made in the past decade, persons with disabilities still face considerable barriers and have a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion.

The objective of this Strategy is to progress towards ensuring that all persons with disabilities in Europe, regardless of their sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age or sexual orientation
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  • enjoy their human rights
  • have equal opportunities, equal access to participate in society and economy
  • are able to decide where, how and with whom they live
  • move freely in the EU regardless of their support needs
  • and no longer experience discrimination

This new and strengthened Strategy takes account of the diversity of disability comprising long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments (in line with Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), which are often invisible.

Addressing the risks of multiple disadvantage faced by women, children, older persons, refugees with disabilities, and those with socioeconomic difficulties, it promotes an intersectional perspective in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The new strategy therefore contains an ambitious set of actions and flagship initiatives in various domains and has numerous priorities, such as
  • accessibility: being able to move and reside freely but also to participate in the democratic process
  • having a decent quality of life and to live independently as it focuses notably on the de-institutionalisation process, social protection and non-discrimination at work
  • equal participation as it aims to effectively protect persons with disabilities from any form of discrimination and violence, to ensure equal opportunities in and access to justice, education, culture, sport and tourism, but also equal access to all health services
  • the role of the EU to lead by example
  • the EU’s intention to deliver on that strategy
  • promoting the rights of persons with disabilities globally

Flagship initiatives
  1. AccessibleEU: a knowledge base providing information and good practices on accessibility across sectors (by end 2022)
  2. European Disability Card: the European Commission will propose a European Disability Card that would apply to all EU countries. The card will make it easier for persons with disabilities to get the proper support when they travel or move to another country in the European Union. (by end 2023)
  3. Guidance recommending improvements on independent living and inclusion in the community. This will contribute to enabling persons with disabilities to live in accessible, supported housing in the community or to continue living at home (2023).
  4. A framework for social services of excellence for persons with disabilities (2024)
  5. A package to improve labour market outcomes of persons with disabilities (to be launched second half of 2022)
  6. Disability Platform: The Disability Platform brings together national authorities responsible for implementation of the Convention, organisations of persons with disabilities and the Commission. It supports the implementation of the strategy and enhances cooperation and exchange on implementing the Convention.
  7. Renewed HR strategy for the European Commission, including actions to promote diversity and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

​Delivering the Strategy: working closely together with EU countriesThe Commission will support Member States in shaping their national strategies and action plans to further implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the EU legislation in the field.
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The European Commission calls on Member States to contribute to this new and reinforced Strategy as the framework for EU actions and for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

UN Convention

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines persons with disabilities as ‘those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’.
Around 87 million people in the EU have some form of disability. Many persons with disabilities in Europe do not have the same chances in life as other people. Schools or workplaces, infrastructures, products, services and information are not all accessible to them. They may also be treated badly or unfairly.
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  • Only half of persons with disabilities are employed compared to 3 in 4 persons without disabilities.
  • 28.4% of persons with disabilities are at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared to 17.8% of persons without disabilities. 
  • Only 29.4% of persons with disabilities attain a tertiary degree compared to 43.8% of those without disabilities.
  • 52% of persons with disabilities feel discriminated against.

What EU is doing


The EU and its Member States are committed to improving social and economic situation of persons with disabilities, building on the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
European Pillar of Social Rights 

Principle 17 of the European Pillar of Social Rights stresses that people with disabilities have the right to income support that ensures living in dignity, services that enable them to participate in the labour market and in society, and a work environment adapted to their needs.
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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​The European Union and all its Member States are party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This important treaty has guided the content of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons of Disabilities 2021-2030 and its predecessor, the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020.
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Click to read the 2023 Work Programme

Disability Platform

​The Commission regularly discusses the implementation of the Convention at EU and Member State level in the Disability Platform expert group, consisting of:
the European Commission experts from EU Member States representatives of several EU-level NGOs, including organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs)
Key disability achievements
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Click to read
Funding

The EU provides financial support through an annual grant to a number of EU-level organisations of persons with disabilities and NGOs (under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme) to build their capacity and make their participation in EU-level processes easier (e.g. by providing views on the development of EU legislation and policies).

These bodies were selected through a call for proposals and signed a Framework Partnership Agreement for the period 2022-2025. Awarded organisations are listed at the bottom of the call page.

The European structural and investment funds (ESIF) are the EU main financial instruments to strengthen economic and social cohesion. They help ensure social inclusion of the most vulnerable citizens, including those with disabilities.
Analytical Support

The European Disability Expertise (EDE) provides the European Commission with analysis of data and policies from the EU Member States. It manages DOTCOM, a database which monitors policy instruments related to the UN Convention in the EU and Member States.
​Awareness-raising
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The European Commission is committed to raising awareness on the living conditions of persons with disabilities, the challenges they encounter in everyday life and tools to improve their lives.

To achieve this goal, the European Commission organises every year:
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