Young persons with disabilities want to take part in youth activities. They want to join, learn, and contribute. But they can only do this if organisations are ready and accessible.

In Europe, 8.3% of young people aged 16–24 have a disability, and half say they face discrimination. But many still cannot join mainstream youth organisations. Not because they don’t want to, but because activities, spaces, or practices are not accessible enough.

Working together with organisations representing young persons with disabilities can make a big difference. It helps youth organisations share knowledge, learn new approaches, and build stronger and more inclusive communities.

The YO‑IN project supports youth organisations step by step on their inclusion journey. We offer practical tools and methods to help you:

• welcome and support young persons with disabilities with confidence
• take real, long‑lasting steps to improve inclusion and accessibility
• build stronger cooperation with disability organisations
• encourage active and meaningful participation of young persons with disabilities
• become a leader in inclusive youth work

YO-IN is an EU‑funded project that aims to strengthen the inclusion of young persons with disabilities in mainstream youth organisations.

The project is led by four organisations with complementary expertise in youth work, disability rights, and inclusive practices.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) is partnering with several organisations for this project: 

• Asociación Cultural Somos Europa (SOMOS): is a youth organisation experienced in non-formal education and capacity-building projects. SOMOS leads a European Network of youth organisations with more than 20 youth Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) from fifteen EU countries.

• High on Life (HoL): is a network of youth NGOs in Europe and overseas that focuses on empowering young people with fewer opportunities through intercultural learning and community projects.

• Fundación Bequal (Bequal): promotes the social inclusion of people with disabilities by highlighting the commitment and efforts of those entities that have incorporated organisational policies that favour the inclusion of people with disabilities both as workers and as consumers or users of services

The YO-IN project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.