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
This year’s edition will take place on 3-4 December 2026, at the Commission’s Charlemagne building in Brussels. More information will be available soon.
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!
Check the conclusions of last year’s conference
How can the EU turn disability rights into tangible change? The 2025 Conference tackled this question through three thought-provoking discussions on
- the future of the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030,
- the importance of disability-inclusive EU funding, and
- the need to ensure persons with disabilities are fully included in emergency preparedness and crisis management.
Together, speakers and participants exchanged ideas, shared good practices and looked ahead to the next steps for a more inclusive Europe.
Check the final report, the recorded sessions and the pictures.
2025 European Day of Persons with Disabilities
Previous editions of the conference
The conference has been organised since 1997.
Check what key priorities have been discussed over the last years.
2024 European Day of Persons with Disabilities
2023 European Day of Persons with Disabilities
2022 European Day of Persons with Disabilities
Contact us
For questions related to the European Day of Persons with Disabilities and the Access City Award, please contact us at: JUST-EDPD-ACA
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JUST-EDPD-ACA[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).