The EU has made progress in ensuring that persons with disabilities can enjoy their rights. The right to equality and non-discrimination are enshrined in Treaties and laws. Barriers have been broken to make the EU more accessible as we move towards the target of full and real equality for persons with disabilities. But there is still work to do if persons with disabilities are to fully enjoy their rights in education, employment, health and all the areas that make for a truly fulfilling and independent life. Persons with disabilities should be able to enjoy these rights just like  everyone else.

The Easy-to-read version of this text is available here.

That’s where the European Commission’s ten-year Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities comes in. The EU will work with its member countries to deliver concrete progress in key areas making it easier to:

• Work
• Live independently
• Travel freely across the EU
• Take part in quality education and training
• Play an active role in the democratic process

Taking the bus, going on holiday, getting the healthcare you need, choosing how and where you live and building a career – these are things we all have the right to do. They are also things we are duty-bound as a society to deliver for everyone, equally.

Barriers remain

• Persons with disabilities are more likely to find themselves in poverty or excluded socially from society
• Half of them feel discriminated against
• They are less likely to be in work
• They are four times less likely to have their healthcare needs met.

Together for Rights

The Together for Rights campaign sheds light on key rights included in the Strategy:

1. The right to access leisure & sports
2. The right to independent living
3. The right to vote and stand for election
4. The right to equal opportunities in education & work
5. The right to access on equal basis with others

Follow us throughout the campaign to learn more about what this means to persons with disabilities and how the action planned could change lives across the EU.
Take time to check out our campaign Champions and follow them on social media. Spread the word! We can only achieve equality by working together.

“Persons with disabilities have the right to have good conditions in the workplace, to live independently, to equal opportunities, to participate fully in the life of their community. All have a right to a life without barriers. And it is our obligation, as a community, to ensure their full participation in society, on an equal basis with others”

Commission President von der Leyen