The European Disability Forum submitted this contribution in response to the Committee’s call for written inputs regarding the implementation of Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies – in the context of the war in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Our observations […]| European Disability Forum
Denmark is presiding over the Council of the EU in the second half of 2025, taking over this position from Poland. Denmark will now chair all the relevant Council formations and technical bodies, such as the Education, Employment, and Social Affairs Council meetings of the national ministers (EPSCO) or the Social Questions Working Party meetings, […] The post Danish Presidency of the Council: encouraging priorities on disability appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
The European Disability Forum submitted this contribution in response to the Committee’s call for written inputs regarding the implementation of Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies – in the context of the war in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Our observations […]| European Disability Forum
On 24 July 2025, the European Disability Forum (EDF), together with the Italian Disability Forum (FID), the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPD), and the League of the Strong, sent an open letter to the newly appointed Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. In the letter, we congratulate the new government, express our […] The post EDF and partners’ letter to the new Ukrainian Government for an inclusive recovery appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
We are happy to report that the European Commission reversed its decision to withdraw the Equal Treatment Directive. This came after strong complaints from civil society organisations, Members of the European Parliament and EU countries. The Equal Treatment Directive is a proposed legislation that aims to enhance protection against discrimination in areas of life outside […] The post Good news on Equal Treatment Directive: Commission reverses decision to withdraw appeared first on European ...| European Disability Forum
The annual Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2025), held in Rome on 10–11 July, included, for the first time, both a side event and a panel that addressed disability inclusion. We and our partners played a key role in making this possible. While estimates remain largely inaccurate, it is known that the number of persons with […] The post Disability Rights take the stage at Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
You can find the documents with images below.Click the links to open and read them.They are available in Word and PDF formats. Our event on the right to decide ETR (Word document) Our event on the right to decide ETR (PDF document) We are the European Disability Forum. We are an organisation that protects the […]| European Disability Forum
EDF recognises Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) potential to greatly improve the lives of persons with disabilities, but also its potential risks. These risks can be significant, and we need to ensure that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developed safely with accessibility and inclusion in mind. We would like to express our gratitude to the European Fund for […]| European Disability Forum
Lawyer, graduated from the Law Faculty of Vilnius University in 1998, continued her professional training as a scholar at the Columbia University School of Law (2001-2002), in Public Interest Law Initiative program, focusing on human rights of people with mental disabilities. In 2004-2005 participated in an Open Society institute Centre for Policy studies, International Policy fellowship program, under the Public Health, Mental disability Advocacy Program (MDAP). In 2010-2011 she has complete...| European Disability Forum
We, together with the International Disability Alliance, attended the Bonn Climate Change Meetings, a UN Climate Conference held in June 2025 in Germany. We advocated for the strong involvement of persons with disabilities in Climate policy and events related to climate change, especially through our ongoing request for recognition of a Disability Constituency. We used […] The post Bonn Conference on Climate Action: new brief on disability inclusion appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
The Commission’s proposal for the EU Budget post-2027 is better than in recent reports, but it must be drastically improved to advance social inclusion and human rights. On Cohesion: Commission’s proposal not good enough Cohesion spending has been one of the most successful investments from the Union. The new proposal to distribute this funding through […] The post EU Budget post-2027: social spending must be reinforced appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
Deadline: 25th of August 2025 Call for operating grants for European NGOs is open. More information in the Participants Portal. Objective: Promoting, protecting and monitoring the rights of persons with disabilities by providing financial support to EU-level networks of civil society organisations active in this area at local, regional, national and transnational level. It will […] The post Funding opportunities: Framework partnership agreements to support EU level Networks active in the ar...| European Disability Forum
For the first time, the Disability Intergroup met with the current and upcoming Presidencies of the Council of the European Union (EU). Organised just days before the end of the Polish Presidency and the beginning of the Danish one, this meeting offered a unique opportunity to reflect on recent progress, preview upcoming priorities, and share […] The post Disability Intergroup meets with Polish and Danish Presidencies to discuss disability rights priorities appeared first on European Disabi...| European Disability Forum
A delegation from the European Disability Forum (EDF) attended the 18th Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) held in New York. The delegation was led by our President Yannis Vardakastanis,and included our Deputy Director Alejandro Moledo and our Senior Policy Coordinator Marine Uldry from […]| European Disability Forum
Today, Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib meets with the Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee to discuss the proposed withdrawal of the Equal Treatment Directive. We have strongly denounced this intention and warned that it will have negative consequences. Not only is the Directive a way to fulfil the obligations inscribed in the EU Treaties, but also […]| European Disability Forum
United Nations experts reviewed EU’s compliance on disability rights. The European Disability Forum supports the findings of a new evaluation by United Nations experts that calls for the European Union to “conduct a comprehensive review of its legislation”. The evaluation explains that such a review is needed to ensure “compatibility with the Convention” on the […]| European Disability Forum
Today is International Workers’ Day. For countless persons with disabilities in Europe, it serves as another reminder of the many barriers they face to being employed. Only 51.3% of persons with disabilities in the European Union are employed, compared to 75.6% of persons without disabilities. This figure is lower for women with disabilities – only […]| European Disability Forum
A delegation led by our President met the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Roxana Mînzatu, on 28 May to advocate for clear actions to advance our rights. Vice-President Mînzatu is responsible for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness and, notably, oversees the work of the Commissioner for Equality. During the meeting we […]| European Disability Forum
A delegation led by our President, Yannis Vardakastanis, met the Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, on 22 May to call for stronger legislation that upholds our rights. The meeting followed the recommendations by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with disabilities. Our delegation asked for the European Strategy […]| European Disability Forum
The evaluation of the European Union by United Nations experts is clear: while progress was made, the European Union must step up on its responsibilities. The European Union ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010. It means that it has the responsibility to enact laws and policies to […]| European Disability Forum
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities hosted the Public Dialogue to review the European Union’s Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 11 and 12 March. The European Union publicly explained how it’s advancing disability rights during this Dialogue. You can read a complete summary […]| European Disability Forum
It is with deep sorrow that we learned of the passing of Anna Drabarz, our dedicated Board member, legal scholar, and passionate advocate for persons with disabilities. Anna leaves behind a profound legacy of advancing equality, accessibility, and human rights in Poland and across Europe. A distinguished researcher specialised in international and EU law, Anna […]| European Disability Forum
The rights of women and girls with disabilities are neglected in the EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights, a flagship initiative presented on 7 March. This means that more than 1 in 4 women will still be left behind in EU decision-making processes. We recognise that the EU Roadmap for Women’s Rights is an important political […]| European Disability Forum
Statement updated 28/02: Information about date of release of Roadmap corrected. More than 1 in 4 women in the EU has a disability. Their rights and needs are often excluded from laws and policies, including those related to disability and/or gender equality. This happens despite women with disabilities being disproportionately discriminated against and subject to […]| European Disability Forum
New report warns that a proposed EU law might exacerbate the issue Our 8th European Human Rights report, released today, highlights that no EU country fully protects persons with disabilities from losing their right to make decisions – and this enables violence and abuse against persons with disabilities. The report also warns that the proposed […]| European Disability Forum
The 2024 European Day of Persons with Disabilities (EDPD) conference will take place in Brussels on 28-29 November. Hosted by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum, the event aims to raise awareness and address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities. It aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of […]| European Disability Forum
Event Details Organisers: European Disability Forum (EDF) and Global Disability Summit (GDS) Secretariat Audience (by invite-only): Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) from Eastern/Central Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. Consultation Objective: The aim of this OPD consultation is to involve OPDs in Eastern/Central Europe and Central Asia in the GDS process and the European Regional Disability Summit […]| European Disability Forum
EDF representatives – led by Thorkild Olesen, EDF Executive Committee Member – participated in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 which was held in Berlin on 11 and 12 June 2024. This event, co-organised by the governments of Germany and Ukraine, continues the series of high-level meetings aimed at the swift recovery and long-term reconstruction of […]| European Disability Forum
Download this statement in PDF Note: We use some technical terms in this statement. These are explained in a glossary at the end. Digital accessibility is a fundamental part of an inclusive society. Accessible websites and online services ensure that people’s individual preferences and needs can be met, using mainstream devices, operating systems features or […]| European Disability Forum
