European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021
Mark your calendar for this year’s conference on the occasion of the European Day of Persons with Disabilities on 2 and 3 December. The online conference is hosted by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum.
Across Europe, persons with disabilities still face considerable barriers in their daily life:
- 4 times more persons with disabilities report unmet healthcare needs than those without disabilities
- Only 64% of persons with disabilities have an internet connection at home, compared to 88% of persons without disabilities
- Over 1 in 5 young people with disabilities leave school early, compared to 1 in 10 of those without disabilities
As pointed out in the EU’s new ten-year strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities, we need to scale up action to remove obstacles and allow full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in society.
This year’s conference will bring together politicians, high-level experts and disability advocates to discuss current challenges, specifically in access to healthcare and in digital transformation. We will also hear about solutions and initiatives to remove barriers and create equal opportunities.
The 2021 conference will include a focus on the experiences and needs of children with disabilities. We will outline the EU-level initiatives in place to realise their rights, and reduce poverty and social exclusion, of all children in the EU.
By the end of the conference, you will have many ideas on how we can work together towards a Union of Equality.
Access City Award 2022 Ceremony
Join the online Access City Award 2022 Ceremony on 3 December in the afternoon to discover the winners of the 12th Access City Award. This prestigious EU award rewards cities who are making continuous efforts to become more accessible for persons with disabilities and older people.
Web streaming
Participation in the conference is on invitation, but the event will be livestreamed on this page. Please note that due to technical contraints the streaming is not fully accessible and an accessible version will be made available after the event.
Social media
Follow and comment on social media:
- #EDPD2021
- #EUDisabilityRights
- #UnionOfEquality
- #EUAccessCity