Ten years ago, the EU adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – the first human rights convention ratified by the EU. This proves the EU’s commitment to bring major changes to the quality of life of the 90 million people with disabilities in the EU.  

To implement the CRPD, the EU adopted the European Disability Strategy to empower persons with disabilities to enjoy their full rights on an equal basis with others.

Ten years after, while there is room for improvement, the strategy has brought improvement in the areas of accessibility, awareness-raising, education and training, social protection, and health, among others. Some good examples are the adoption of the European Accessibility Act, the Web Accessibility Directive and legislation related to the rights of passengers.

This year, the European Commission will present a new disability strategy so that persons with disabilities can participate equally in all areas of life, enjoying the same rights as others, the same level of employment, educational attainment, social inclusion, right to travel, to work and study within the EU, living independently and being included in the community.