A decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union on 11 September reaffirms that protection against discrimination at work on the grounds of disability must extend to discrimination “by association”. This means that employers are obliged to provide adaptations to working arrangements for employees with a responsibility for caring for and supporting children […] The post EU Court of Justice’s decision enhances protection at work for carers of children with disabilities appeared ...| European Disability Forum
The Nicosia Declaration was officially signed by AAATE, EDF, IAAP EU, Teach Access, JKU, EUC and other partners during the AAATE conference on 11 September in Nicosia, Cyprus. AAATE was inspired by the ATHENA Project and its vision and chose to take an active role as a promoter of the declaration, working alongside partners to […] The post The Nicosia Declaration: accessibility and Universal Design in Higher Education curricula appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
We buy products, we use services, we spend money in the EU’s single market every day. Therefore, our rights to accessibility and inclusion in this single market should also be respected! That was our main message when we participated in 2 different consultations: one on the Consumer Agenda 2025-2030, (the EU’s strategy on consumer rights), […] The post EU cannot forget that persons with disabilities are also consumers appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
We joined the “Build Better Lives” campaign, an initiative started by the Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, which aims to ensure decent, affordable and energy efficient homes for all. “Build Better Lives” seeks to unite social, climate and youth movements to promote the need for more energy efficient buildings that can benefit millions of people’s […] The post Build Better Lives campaign: improving accessibility and energy efficiency of buildings appeared first on European Disa...| European Disability Forum
The following is the forward by our President, Yannis Vardakastanis, to our upcoming Human Rights Report ‘Rights delayed: Air travel for passengers with disabilities’. The report will be launched in November: ‘The principle of Freedom of movement has been one of the greatest milestones of the European Union (EU). Unfortunately, not everyone can study, work, […] The post European Mobility Week: persons with disabilities deserve to travel appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
We note that this year’s State of the European Union had, again, real-time interpretation in international sign hosted on the Commission’s YouTube page – and advertised on the Parliament’s website and the institutions’ social media accounts. This is the second time international sign interpretation has been offered at the address of the State of the European […] The post State of the European Union 2025 – more accessibility needed appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
The European Commission is going forward with its plan to dismantle established rules that were meant to protect social, human, and labour rights, as well as digital rights, and the environment. We joined 470 other organisations in an open statement with a clear message: this is unacceptable. The statement, launched ahead of the ‘State of […] The post EDF co-signs statement against EU’s de-regulation wave appeared first on European Disability Forum.| European Disability Forum
The European Disability Forum (EDF) is opening a new funding stream under the project “Nothing without us: Women with disabilities leading the change” with grants of up to 3,000 euros to support our members and their members who want to undertake activities focused on women’s rights across the whole Europe (in geographical sense). The aim […]| 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
EDF’s work in the Middle East and EDF advocacy on Gaza| 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
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
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
Ensuring the next EU budget supports disability rights| 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
Updated EU Disability Rights Strategy| 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
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