The Commission has presented a social plan to promote the rights of persons with disabilities across the EU.
According to Eurostat, 90 million Europeans live with a disability. Achieving full inclusion is therefore imperative – not only to ensure their rights are respected, but also to boost Europe’s economy and democracy. However, many barriers still exist for persons with disabilities
- only 55% are employed, compared with 77% of persons without a disability
- 1.4 million still live in institutional settings
- 1 in 3 are at risk of poverty, nearly double the EU average
To ensure the rights of socio-economically vulnerable people are safeguarded and fully realised in every aspect of life, more action needs to be taken. To this end, the Commission is updating the 2021-2030 strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities and stepping up its efforts with new initiatives, including
- the EU-wide rollout of the European Disability Card and Parking Card
- launching an Alliance for Independent Living to replace institutions with community-based support
- improving transport accessibility
- investing in assistive technologies such as AI tools
The new social plan also includes the first-ever EU anti-poverty strategy, a proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion, and a communication on breaking the cycle of child poverty.
