The Strategy lacks new legislative initiatives and foregoes many of the disability movement’s demands.
The ‘Enhanced’ Disability Rights Strategy, presented by the European Commission today, falls short of our demands and of the European Union’s obligation to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
While the Strategy includes some valuable proposals and identifies key challenges, none of our proposed flagship initiatives were included. The Strategy focuses more on studies, preparatory work, and already foreseen actions than on adopting new legislative and funding initiatives.
This is unfortunate, as we had presented clear paths forward supported by the European Parliament and United Nations experts. The actions that we proposed included the establishment of a European Agency for Accessibility; an EU Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, and a law on the availability and affordability of assistive technologies, among others.
That said, the positive proposals include:
- Facilitate the creation of national and local independent living centres, better monitoring of deinstitutionalisation processes in Member States, and increase knowledge on supported decision-making.
- Considering the occupational safety and health risks faced by workers with disabilities in the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act.
- A study on decision-making regimes and legal capacity legislation in the Member States, showcasing supported decision-making approaches to encourage self-determination of persons with intellectual, mental and psycho-social disabilities.
- Guidelines on procedural accommodation in accessing justice;
- A study to assess obstacles for persons with disabilities in accessing assistive technologies and AI and identify relevant solutions.
- Publish a dedicated report on housing conditions of persons with disabilities across the EU and issue recommendations to Member States on accessibility in national renovation plans.
- Analytical work on quantifying the extra cost of living with a disability.
We also commend the organisation of a high-level event focusing on accessibility as part of one of the Ukraine reconstruction conferences in 2027.
We will analyse the Strategy in detail in the coming days and work with the EU Institutions to ensure the proposed actions contribute to advancing our rights and demands.
Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, said:
“The Disability Strategy has the right words, but it lacks teeth and strength. We renew our call for stronger measures, dedicated funding, and for the Commission to put the Union of Equality back on its political agenda.”