Voters across the EU will elect 705 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) between 6-9 June 2024. As the EU’s only directly elected body, this election is one of the largest democratic exercises in the world. It is vital that persons with disabilities participate in it.
EDF is campaigning for an inclusive future for persons with disabilities in the EU.
The EU has an obligation to protect the rights of all people, including the rights of persons with disabilities, through laws and by supporting Member States’ actions and initiatives.
Participating in the European elections as an advocate, as a voter, and as a candidate will help guarantee that EU policies reflect your needs and those of 100 million persons with disabilities.
Increased political participation has resulted in significant progress for persons with disabilities, such as the passing of the European Disability Card, Passengers’ Rights Regulations, and Equal Treatment in Employment Directive. However, much more needs to be done. We need more action and funding to enforce existing laws and tackle barriers. For example:
To this end, it is imperative that persons with disabilities are active during elections – including the European elections.
Join the together.eu platform to become a change-maker ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections!
What is together.eu? Download our Easy to Read guide to learn what it’s all about and how you can get involved! (PDF)
To learn more about the European election process in your country, consult your national Electoral Management Body.
The 5th European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities was the landmark event that kickstarted our campaign towards the European elections. It brought together over 700 disability advocates, policymakers and other stakeholders under the theme “Building an inclusive future for persons with disabilities in the EU”.
It was hosted at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event served as a platform to discuss the rights of persons with disabilities and decide on the political demands of the European Disability Movement.
Learn more about the 5th European Parliament of Persons with Disabilities
“Access Denied: The (in)accessibility of European Political Party websites” is a report co-authored by EDF and the Funka Foundation, a leader in the sector of digital accessibility.
The report found appalling results in the websites of the 7 main European political parties – European People’s Party, Party of European Socialists, ALDE Party, ECR Party, European Greens, European Left and Identity and Democracy.
The disappointing results of the report show that:
Accessibility is vital in making sure that everyone can understand political parties’ goals, who the candidates are, and who they should vote for.
EDF has developed two accessibility checklists to help campaign staff, politicians, candidates, and public officials to assess their campaign communications and events, understand what is missing, and find out where to go from there.
Fill out our guides, score yourself and step up your accessibility journey!
Discover the Checklists: Making campaigns accessible for persons with disabilities
EU citizens have the right to vote and stand as a candidate in European elections in their country of origin. If they live in another EU country, they may choose to vote and stand as a candidate under the same conditions as the citizens of that country, with some exceptions.
Nevertheless, it is extremely common for persons with disabilities to be deprived of their rights to political participation.
You can learn more about your rights and our work to advance them on our page on political participation of persons with disabilities.
In addition to their Manifesto for the 2024 European Elections, focusing on five key priority areas, MHE is providing its members with guidelines and workshops on engagement and advocacy.
Alzheimer Europe has adopted a campaign with three distinct elements: the Helsinki Manifesto, the Dementia Pledge and a Call to Action.
The Cerebral Palsy in the European Union Association has published a manifesto to explain how the EU can improve the lives of its citizens with cerebral palsy.
Rare Diseases Europe is calling for rare diseases to be a priority of MEP candidates through their #ActRare2024 campaign, Building the Engine of an Inclusive European Health Union.
Inclusion Europe campaigns for persons with intellectual disabilities to ‘Use your vote (If you have one)’, highlighting how many persons with intellectual disabilities still face serious restrictions in political participation.
EBU’s campaign statement stresses the growing importance of listening to the needs of blind and partially sighted persons, especially in the context of Europe’s aging population.
Funktionsrätt Sverige’s election campaign centres around five key demands from EDF’s manifesto, and will include a webinar and a debate with MEP candidates from Sweden’s largest party groups.
BDF’s memorandum, “For a Europe that supports the choice of life and the inclusion of people with disabilities”, will form the basis of meetings between BDF and elected parties this December.
Conseil Français des personnes Handicapées pour les affaires Européennes et internationales created a portal ahead of the elections with resources on all aspects of voting in France.
Ieder(in)’s election campaign actions involve a letter to Dutch European Parliament candidates and an awareness-raising article, which also shares the Dutch language versions of EDF’s manifesto and candidates’ pledge.
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