Ongoing KEEP Driven: participation of youth with disabilities

About the project

The KEEP Driven project, co-funded by the EU through Erasmus+, aims to empower young persons with disabilities in Italy, France, Latvia, and Belgium to actively participate in their communities and in European democratic life. It focuses on building their knowledge, skills, and confidence, promoting inclusive empowerment practices, and supporting their involvement in local and EU decision-making. By fostering personal growth and civic engagement, the project seeks to address the exclusion of young people with disabilities from political dialogue and encourage their active participation based on shared values.

Background

Young people with disabilities face numerous barriers to participation in society and in the decisions that affect their lives. These physical and cultural barriers — including stereotypes and prejudice — result in:

Limited and inaccessible opportunities for participation: it’s often unclear where and how young people with disabilities can get involved.
Intersectional discrimination: disability may intersect with other factors such as gender, social status, or age, making it even harder to access opportunities for education, personal growth, and professional development.
Lack of recognition of their opinions: in many cases, the voices and ideas of young people with disabilities are not taken seriously. Some are even denied legal capacity, further limiting their ability to participate actively.

This situation goes against the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), as well as other key European documents, which affirm that young people with disabilities must have the opportunity to express their views and participate in democratic life on an equal basis with others.

Funder

Timeframe

1^st April 2025 until 30^th September 2026

Budget

250 000 EURO

Partners

CBM Italia (CBM IT, project coordinator), Italy
European Disability Forum (EDF), Belgium
Ledha – Lega per i diritti delle persone con disabilità (LEDHA / FISH), Italy
Association APF France handicap (APF), France
Latvijas Cilvēku ar īpašām vajadzībām sadarbības organizācija (SUSTENTO), Latvia

Project news, outcomes and deliverables

The KEEP Driven project aims to:

Identify and promote good practices for the inclusion and empowerment of young people with disabilities across Europe;
Strengthen the capacity of youth and disability organizations to support their participation;
Create concrete opportunities for civic and democratic engagement at local and EU levels;
Ensure wide dissemination of project outcomes to support replication and sustainability.

Targeting young people with disabilities aged 18–26 in Italy, France, Latvia, and at the European level, the project will start with a transnational survey, study visits, and online dialogues to compile a compendium of good practices. It will offer national and EU-level trainings, develop a tailored training program and guidelines, and involve young activists in co-creating a European advocacy campaign—including a multilingual accessible video and local events. Results will be shared broadly through webinars, newsletters, trainings, and partner networks.

Your voice matters!

Help us design activities that empower young people with disabilities to engage fully in their communities across Europe!

By filling out this survey, you will help us better understand your needs and experiences, as well as the the barriers that support or hinder your participation in civic and democratic life.

If you’re a director or part of the governing body of a representative organisation of persons with disabilities, feel free to include the voices and experiences of your young members in your answers to this survey.

👉 Fill out the survey here. Thank you!