European Day of Persons with Disabilities

About the European Day of Persons with Disabilities

The European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference is organised annually by the  Commission, in collaboration with the European Disability Forum, to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, in line with the United Nations observance. 

As a long-standing flagship event, it brings together more than 400 participants, including persons with disabilities, their representative organisations, national authorities, and policymakers from EU institutions, to help shape EU disability policies and assess progress in advancing disability rights. The conference provides a platform for sharing the lived experiences of persons with disabilities, embodies the principle of “nothing about us without us”, and reaffirms the European Union’s commitment to making disability rights a political priority.

European Day of Persons with Disabilities 2026

Travelling, living and working across borders: Fair mobility and equal protection

Practical information

When: 3-4 December 2026
Where: Brussels (Belgium)

In-person attendance by invitation only.

The conference will be livestreamed. Access to the livestream will be provided closer to the date.

Programme outline

Thursday 3 December

• Opening session: European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.
• Panel 1: Disability assessment: starting-block or hurdle?
• Panel 2: Social protection and social security without borders: enabling free movement for persons with disabilities in the EU.

Friday 4 December

• 2027 Access City Award ceremony: We will reveal the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winner cities that are making urban life more accessible for persons with disabilities. Special Mentions may also be awarded. Master of ceremonies: Lucille Werner
• Panel 3: Towards barrier-free transport: Passengers’ rights and accessibility.
• Closing session: European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers.

More information about the speakers will be available by fall 2026.

Accessibility

The following accessibility aspects will be ensured for this conference:

• Accessible registration website
• Wheelchair accessible venue
• Language and interpretation from/to:
  • International Sign
  • Tactile Sign
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian
  • Lithuanian
  • Polish
  • Spanish
• Live Captioning
  • English on full screen
  • Access to automatic translation into French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish and Spanish.
• Audio description in English
• Hearing loops
• Easy-to-read material
• Braille material
• Quiet room
• Simplified signage
• Quiet zone in the conference room for neurodivergent participants
• Graphic recorder creating real-time visual summaries of the presentations

2027 Access City Award ceremony

Traditionally, the conference hosts the Access City Award ceremony, that rewards the cities that are making urban life more accessible for persons with disabilities.

Does this sound like your city? Nominate your city to become the winner of the 2027 Access City Award until 4 September 2026!

How to apply