European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025

Join us for the European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025, a landmark event uniting policymakers, organisations, and persons with disabilities to advance disability inclusion and equality across Europe. This year, we will explore the path toward a fair, resilient, and inclusive Union through three strategic panels, each addressing the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the rights and daily realities of persons with disabilities. It is a unique moment to share perspectives, exchange best practices, and ensure no one is left behind in Europe’s social and economic future.

Panel 1: Forging Ahead: The Next Chapter in implementing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 will delve into how the EU and its Member States can further advance the implementation of the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring it translates into tangible improvements in its 8 areas including accessibility, independent living, and equal participation. Speakers will share success stories featuring results achieved and discuss the challenges that remain, while exploring future action for making the rights of persons with disabilities a reality across Europe.

Panel 2: Funding the Union of Equality: towards a Disability-Inclusive EU budget will examine how EU financial instruments have driven and can continue to drive real change for persons with disabilities, for example by ensuring that accessibility and inclusion are systematically integrated into EU funding. The discussion will address how EU funds including cohesion policy, social funds, and other EU instruments can align with the goals of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with disabilities.

Panel 3: Preparedness and Crisis management inclusive of Persons with Disabilities will focus on how the EU and Member States can ensure persons with disabilities are included in emergency preparedness and crisis management, building on the lessons learned from recent crises. Speakers will highlight among others the need for accessible early warning systems, inclusive civil protection measures, and the active involvement of persons with disabilities in planning and response efforts to ensure resilience, safety, and equal protection for all during emergencies.

On the second day, the conference will start with the Access City Award 2026 ceremony, where the winner of the 2026 Access City Award will be revealed, along with the runners-up and Special Mentions. This year, the Commission intends to award a Special Mention on Accessibility in Housing. The EU Jury may decide to award other Special Mentions to cities for their outstanding accessibility work on a specific area.

For more information, please visit the European Commission webpage.