The European Commission has set out a new package of measures to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities across the EU, including plans for an EU-wide Disability Card and new work on poverty and housing exclusion.
About 90 million Europeans live with a disability, according to Eurostat figures cited by the Commission in a statement on Wednesday.
Employment rates remain lower for disabled people, with 55% in work compared with 77% of people without a disability.
The Commission also said 1.4 million people with disabilities still live in institutional settings, while one in three is at risk of poverty — nearly double the EU average.
The updated approach includes an EU-wide roll-out of the European Disability Card and a related Parking Card, which the Commission said are intended to be recognised across member states.
It also announced an Alliance for Independent Living, described as work to replace institutional care with community-based support.
Transport access and assistive technology
Measures set out by the Commission also include improving transport accessibility and investing in assistive technologies, including AI tools.
Alongside disability-focused initiatives, the Commission said the wider plan includes the EU’s first anti-poverty strategy, a proposal for a Council Recommendation on fighting housing exclusion, and a communication on breaking the cycle of child poverty.
The Commission said the updated strategy reflects recommendations from the United Nations and input from people with disabilities and their representative organisations, as well as the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee.
