The European Disability Strategy has been updated!
What is it?
This Strategy was adopted on the 6th May 2026 by the European Commission, and it sets objectives to improve the lives of people with disabilities from 2021 until 2030.
This Strategy is divided in 2 timelines, meaning that there has been a new set of actions from 2026-2030 that reinforces the objectives.
The European Disability Strategy has 3 main objectives:
- Implementing EU rights and action.
- Removing barriers to empower persons with disabilities to live independently and participate in society and the economy on an equal basis with others.
- Engaging with stakeholders and delivering results.
The new actions until 2030…
Employment
The Commission will work on how to make employment more inclusive by:
- Looking at the link between AI and workplace.
- Study reasonable accommodation provided by employers to people with disabilities.
Inclusive education
The European Commission acknowledges the obstacles on accessibility and adequate support for children with disabilities in mainstream schools.
Consequently, it will create:
- A Guidance on early childhood education.
- A focus on accessibility of higher education.
- A report on inclusive and special education.
Participation
The Commission will work with Members States so they can make elections more accessible and inclusive.
Healthcare
A study on violence against women and how to make healthcare more accessible for women.
Independent living
- Facilitate the creation of national and local independent living centres.
- Better monitoring of deinstitutionalisation processes in Member States.
- Increase knowledge on supported decision-making.
EDSA’s president, Dinka Vukovic, has said “the strategy is very welcome and includes important actions towards EDSA’s main priorities, such as inclusive education. However, it would be valuable to have guidance on how to really implement them. Mainstream schools should be an option and support must be real. I hope to see that people with Down syndrome are included in the work as well”.
