Education is a fundamental right. Our latest report, “Breaking Barriers to Inclusive Education”, explores policies and practices that support inclusive education for students with disabilities in five European Union Member States: Croatia, Estonia, Italy, Luxembourg, and Portugal.
Through interviews with disability organisations in each country, the report examines their efforts to promote the inclusion of students with disabilities and to implement the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) into their educational systems.
What is inclusive education?
The CRPD says that every child, with or without disabilities, should have access to education. It defines inclusive education as an environment that respects diversity and enables all learners to participate fully.
This environment should allow learners with disabilities to develop their skills, strengthen their identity, and take part in school life on an equal basis with others.
The CRPD also states that students with disabilities should not face discrimination and should have access to different forms of communication, including sign language, braille, and other accessible formats
Practices across Europe
Inclusive education plays a key role in building a more accessible and inclusive society. Mainstream schools must be prepared to welcome students with disabilities and provide the reasonable accommodation they need to learn and participate on an equal basis with their peers. That is why it is important to identify and share good practices.
Promising practices
The countries featured in this report demonstrate a strong commitment to improving access to education. Examples include:
- The use of teaching assistants in Croatia
- Individualised education plans in Italy
- Specialised support networks in Estonia
- Competence centres in Luxembourg
- Portugal’s legal framework for inclusive education
Remaining challenges
However, disability organisations also identified several common challenges that continue to limit inclusive education:
- Many teachers do not receive enough training on disability, inclusive teaching methods, or the human rights approach promoted by the CRPD
- Schools often struggle to recruit and retain specialised staff, including support teachers, sign language interpreters, and other professionals
- Students with disabilities continue to face barriers in accessing accessible learning materials, including braille, assistive technology, and accessible digital resources
- Physical accessibility remains a challenge, particularly in older school buildings and in rural areas
- Funding is often insufficient to provide consistent support and reasonable accommodation across the education system
- Progress towards inclusive education is uneven, and some countries still rely on segregated settings or specialised schools for certain groups of learners
- Several organisations highlighted the need for stronger monitoring to ensure that inclusive education policies are properly implemented in practice
- Transition periods, such as moving between education levels or entering post-school life, remain difficult for many learners with disabilities
These barriers can affect participation, independence, and future employment opportunities for students with disabilities. While progress is taking place, disability organisations across Europe agree that further action is needed to turn legal commitments into everyday reality in schools.
Recommandations
Based on the findings of this report, the European Disability Forum recommends:
- Improving teacher training on disability and inclusive education
- Providing disability awareness training for all school staff
- Increasing funding for educational specialists, support services, and accessible resources
- Making the CRPD a central reference point for education policies and practices
- Moving from a medical model of disability towards a human rights-based approach
- Strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure laws are implemented effectively
Read the Report
And learn more about our work on education.
Acknowledgment:
This report was prepared by Ana Santos.
Assisted/Supervised by Haydn Hammersley.
The publication page was written by Alyssa Harris.