Vision

Our vision is that persons with disabilities in Europe are fully included in society on an equal basis with others and that our human rights, as outlined in the CRPD, are fully respected, protected and fulfilled. The principles of the CRPD are central to this vision, and they inform our advocacy objectives and our way of working.

Mission

Our mission is to ensure persons with disabilities’ full inclusion in society and access to our human rights through our active involvement in policy development, implementation and monitoring of the CRPD in Europe.

We are convinced that the EU can play a key role in promoting human rights in the European region and globally.

We are convinced that acting collectively, EDF, and its members and partners can fight together for a strong social and human rights-based Europe, where democratic, active civil participation is continuously practiced and improved. The European Union institutions themselves, and the European Disability Forum, should embody the human rights principles of participation, non-discrimination and ownership in the way that they work.

We are committed to a strong and inclusive European Union, where the right to live, travel, work, study, vote or be elected is guaranteed to all citizens in the Union, and where women, men and children with disabilities enjoy these rights on an equal basis with others.

We are committed to practising diversity and ensuring within its own work that no one is left behind.

We are committed to ensuring that the voices of the most marginalised persons with disabilities are heard and are central to our work; women and children with disabilities, persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, persons with disabilities requiring more intensive support and refugees with disabilities.

We are committed to strengthening our collaboration with all relevant industry players, in order to promote Universal Design.

By 2025, through our united advocacy within the disability movement, EDF will ensure that:

• new and revised EU legislation, policies and funding are aligned to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
• persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are meaningfully involved in all EU policy matters and democratic decision-making processes.
• there are specific improvements in the situation of women, girls and youth with disabilities.
• the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ESRPD) at EU and national level is implemented and monitored with direct involvement of representative organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs).
• the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Semester Process contribute to a stronger social Europe and to an inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery.
• the transition from institutional to community-based care including support to independent living is advanced through EU guidance and funding.
• all modes of transport, the built environment, Information and Communication Technologies, and all other products and services, become more accessible, as well as ensuring accessibility in EU actions towards sustainability and climate action
• persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are included in the EU’s international cooperation, humanitarian action, Disaster Prevention and Preparedness programmes.
• EDF members and partners, policy makers and the media are fully aware of and engaged in key issues related to disability rights.

EDF will also implement comprehensive training programme for EDF members, partners, and other stakeholders. 

Objectives

Objective 1: Management and running of the Network

Specific Objectives:

• Support the Disability Movement in Europe by an effective, diverse, and financially stable secretariat.
• Organise the Annual General Assembly, Board, and Executive Committee meetings.

Objective 2: Capacity building at the EU and national level

Specific Objectives:

• A comprehensive training and development programme for EDF members, partners, and other stakeholders at national, international, and EU level is implemented.

Objective 3: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and equality and human rights mainstreaming

Specific Objectives:

• New and revised legislation and EU processes, including newly emerging issues, are aligned to and promoting the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
• The rights of persons with disabilities are considered in new and revised European human rights policy issues and funding programmes.
• Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in all their diversity are meaningfully involved in all EU policy matters and democratic decision-making processes, including the right to vote and stand for elections and the Conference on the Future of Europe.
• Specific improvements are made in the situation of women and girls with disabilities.
• Specific improvements are made in the situation of young persons with disabilities.

Objective 4: European Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ESRPD)

Specific Objective:

• The ESRPD is implemented and monitored at EU and national level with direct involvement of representative organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs).
• The European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Semester Process contribute to a stronger social Europe and to an inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery, advancing the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Advance the transition from institutional to community-based care including support to independent living, using instruments such as the EU budget and the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
• All modes of transport, the built environment, Information and Communication Technologies, and all other products and services become more accessible for persons with disabilities, and EU actions towards sustainability and climate action take accessibility into consideration.
• Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are included in the EU’s global work on international cooperation, humanitarian action, Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Preparedness programmes, and initiatives at the EU level, with the EU delegations and partner countries.

Objective 5: Communication and dissemination

Specific Objective:

• Ensuring that the general public, EDF members and partners, policy makers, and the media are aware of the outcomes of EDF’s work and are engaged and informed on key issues related to disability rights in Europe and in the EUs global work.