As Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), the Disability Intergroup has various range of activities to take action, including:

• Submitting written and oral questions
• Proposing amendments
• Drafting reports and resolutions
• Organising debates and public hearings
• Making interventions
• Coordinating joint actions and statements
• Hosting events (including collaborations with other intergroup)
• Holding expert meetings
• Launching communication initiatives
• Developing projects
• Sending letters 

At their first meeting after the Disability Intergroup was re-established, MEPs agreed on an initial version of the 2025-2027 action plan which focuses on 6 main areas:

1. Overarching themes
2. Human rights
3. EU challenges
4. Social Policies
5. Accessibility & free movement
6. Raising awareness and collaboration

The Disability Intergroup work programme 2025-2027 is also available in:

• Word document version:  Work programme 2025-2027 – Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament
• PDF version: Work programme 2025-2027 – Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament

1. Overarching themes

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)

This item covers the CRPD Committee review of the EU taking place in March 2025, the EU’s follow-up to the Committee Concluding Observations, the elections in the CRPD committee, the EU’s independent CRPD monitoring framework in which PETI (European Parliament’s Committee on Petitions), LIBE (European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) and EMPL (European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs) committees are involved, the Conference of State Parties to the CRPD, the EP CRPD network, and general matters concerning the Convention, including the establishment of a CRPD focal point in the EP.

European Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030

General matters concerning the Disability Rights Strategy 2021-2030, particularly the second phase of the Strategy to be prepared by the Commission with a new set of actions and flagship initiatives for 2025-2030. This item also covers the Disability Platform and monitoring the implementation of the Strategy.

The next EU budget

Disability Intergroup actions aiming at ensuring that the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028-2034 will support the implementation of the CRPD, with particular attention to Cohesion Funds, mobility programmes, funding for civil society organisations representing persons with disabilities, and EU external action funds.

Petitions regarding persons with disabilities

Petitions submitted by citizens to the Petitions committee concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, which the intergroup can discuss and take action if needed. It also covers activities regarding persons with disabilities organised by the PETI committee.

CRPD obligations to the EP as public administration

EP actions aiming at fulfilling its obligations under the CRPD as a public administration, it covers work related to the EP High-Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity, the Accessibility and Inclusion Group, and other activities aiming at making the EP more inclusive to persons with disabilities. Topics include the accessibility of the EP websites and IT (information technology) tools, buildings, information and communications; the provision of reasonable accommodation for staff with disabilities, and the meaningful collaboration with the Disability Support Group in the Parliament.

2. Human rights

Equal Treatment and antidiscrimination

Legislation on Equal Treatment, the Employment Equality Directive, the Equality Bodies Directives, and any other matter related to equality and non-discrimination.

Gender Equality and women with disabilities

The upcoming Gender Equality Roadmap and Gender Equality Strategy, the monitoring of the Directive on combating violence against women, and any other topic concerning women and girls with disabilities, as well as the gender dimension of the Disability Rights Strategy.

Children with disabilities and inclusive education

All actions concerning inclusive education and children with disabilities, such as the Child Guarantee, or initiatives to support Early Childhood Intervention.

Young and older people with disabilities

Related work concerning young people with disabilities, such as the Traineeship Directive or Erasmus+, Solidarity Corps, and the European Youth Event, and actions focused on older people with disabilities.

Intersectionality

All the Intergroup activities aiming at ensuring an intersectional approach in the EU policies, to address when disability intersects with other elements, such as racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and gender identity.

Forced sterilisation

Intergroup actions aiming at prohibiting forced sterilisation of persons with disabilities, and the compensation and reparation of those who suffered this practice.

Justice, protection of adults, protection of victims and fight against hate

All work on judicial cooperation and access to justice in the EU, activities aiming at protecting victims (such as the revision of the Victims Rights Directive), and fight against hatred and hate speech. This item includes the proposed Regulation on the protection of vulnerable adults.

Legal capacity

intergroup initiatives concerning equal recognition before the law to all persons with disabilities. This includes the promotion of supported-decision making systems.

Political participation and the right to vote

European elections (including the potential reform of the EU Electoral Law), the accessibility and inclusiveness of EU’s elections, including for mobile EU citizens with disabilities.

Migration policies

Intergroup actions aiming at ensuring that all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities will be treated with respect to the rights enshrined in the CRPD.

3. EU challenges

Social inclusion, social protection, and adequate standard of living

This item covers all activities aiming at reducing the poverty and social exclusion of persons with disabilities, including homelessness, and to support a decent standard of living of all persons with disabilities.

Green Transition and fight against the climate emergency

Any activity concerning the green transition and the EU’s policies regarding climate action, including the meaningful involvement of disability organisations at global and regional discussions, and policies aiming at fighting energy poverty by persons with disabilities.

Digital Transition

Policies and initiatives on the digital domain aiming at ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities. This includes policies related to Artificial Intelligence, and the right to access public and essential services through non-digital means.

Humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction

Intergroup actions aiming at ensuring that EU’s humanitarian action will address the specific requirements of persons with disabilities, and that all EU actions regarding preparedness in case of crisis and natural disasters will incorporate a disability-inclusive approach.

EU in the world

The EU is largest donor of aid in the world. This item covers the EU external action work, international cooperation and international matters, including EU’s leadership and human rights dialogues with partner countries.

War in Ukraine and other armed conflicts

All actions aiming at supporting Ukrainians with disabilities who remain in Ukraine and those who sought refuge in the EU due to the war. This item also includes EU humanitarian actions in other places suffering armed conflicts, such as in Palestine, where people with disabilities are amongst the most affected.

4. Social Policies

Deinstitutionalisation and independent living

All the activities, including the monitoring of EU funds, concerning the transition from institutional to community-based independent living.

Employment

All related activities concerning employment policies and funding programmes (e.g. a potential Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee) aiming at increasing the participation of persons with disabilities in the open labour market, and other potential actions derived from the European Pilar of Social Rights (EPSR), including the upcoming Action Plan on the EPSR.

Health, rehabilitation, habilitation and mental health

EU work on health policies, including the fight against cancer, as well as issues concerning safety and mental health. This item also includes actions related to the rehabilitation and habilitation of persons with disabilities.

Public procurement and state aid

Intergroup initiatives regarding the use of public procurement and state aid to improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities.

Statistics

Actions aiming at gathering disaggregated data on disability in different fields, including the work of Eurostat.

5. Accessibility & free movement

Accessibility and assistive technologies

All actions in which accessibility plays a central role (e.g. the establishment of a European agency for accessibility) or is incorporated in (products and services, ICT, built environment, transport, culture, sports, media, etc.). This also covers work on assistive technologies.

Accessible and adapted housing

Intergroup actions aiming at ensuring that the current EU’s priority to address the housing crisis will take into consideration the specific needs of persons with disabilities, and the lack of accessible, affordable and adapted housing in the EU.

Transport and Passengers’ Rights

Work concerning the rights of persons with disabilities as passengers in the different modes of transport. This includes, for example, specific measures to improve transport accessibility or the Passengers Rights package launched by the Commission in 2023.

EU Disability Card, Parking Card, and beyond

This item covers all activities regarding the adopted Directives establishing the EU Disability Card and Parking Card, as well as other activities aiming at ensuring the free movement of persons with disabilities when moving permanently to another EU country.

6. Raising awareness and collaboration

Collaboration with the Commission

Covering all the activities concerning the cooperation of the Disability Intergroup with the European Commission, and particularly the collaboration and communication with Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.

Visibility and raising awareness of specific disabilities

Activities regarding the specific needs of the diverse community of persons with disabilities, e.g. deaf-blindness, intellectual and learning disabilities, hearing loss, rare diseases, etc. This item also includes the promotion of the full diversity of sign languages in Europe.

Collaboration and dialogue with disability organisations

Intergroup members work with organisations of and for persons with disabilities.

Collaboration with other equality intergroups

Activities carried out jointly with other Equality intergroups (e.g. LGBTI, Anti-racism, children rights, Mental Health etc.).