[Publication] Independent living of persons with disabilities in the European Union

Background

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), ratified by the European Union in 2010, marked a shift towards a rights-based approach to disability, emphasising autonomy, equality, and full participation. Article 19 of the Convention guarantees the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community. The European Union plays a key role in supporting this through legislation, policy coordination, and the allocation of structural and investment funds.

Ten years after the first review of the EU by the UN CRPD Committee, progress remains uneven. Despite policy advances—including the European Accessibility Act, the Disability Rights Strategy 2021–2030, and new guidance on independent living—implementation across Member States (MS) continues to lag, with persistent institutionalisation, limited community-based services, and inconsistent participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making.

Aim

This analysis examines the state of implementation of Article 19 of the UN CRPD within the European Union and its Member States. It reviews the findings of the UN Committee’s 2015 and 2025 reviews of the EU, assesses current national and EU-level measures promoting independent living, and considers the implications of the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034 for disability inclusion and rights realisation. The report identifies achievements, ongoing challenges, and policy gaps that must be addressed to realise the right to independent living for all persons with disabilities.

Key findings

The UN CRPD reframed disability as a human rights issue, affirming the principles of autonomy, equality, and participation. It obliges States Parties to remove barriers, ensure accessibility, and actively involve persons with disabilities in decision-making. Article 19 of the Convention guarantees the right to independent living and inclusion in the community, requiring that all persons with disabilities can choose where and with whom to live, with access to the support they need.

Despite this strong normative framework, EU reviews in 2015 and 2025 highlight persistent shortcomings in implementation. Misuse of funds for institutional care, significant accessibility gaps, and limited participation of persons with disabilities remain widespread. These findings point to a limited translation of EU-level strategies into practice. Nonetheless, progress has been achieved through measures such as the European Accessibility Act, the EU Disability Rights Strategy, and specific guidance on independent living.

However, systemic problems continue to undermine compliance with the CRPD. The EU still lacks a comprehensive, enforceable legal framework to combat discrimination beyond the field of employment. Many persons with disabilities continue to face institutionalisation, inaccessible environments, and social exclusion. Stronger legal commitments and effective enforcement mechanisms are essential to ensure full realisation of CRPD obligations.

Despite these policy developments, progress on implementing Article 19 across Member States remains slow and uneven. In many countries, families are still expected to provide care until they no longer can, at which point residential care often becomes the only available option. Evidence shows that persons with disabilities continue to live in residential care facilities across the EU, which are still being renovated, expanded, and newly constructed. Many individuals remain on long waiting lists for institutional placements. Data collection remains fragmented, focusing mainly on whether a person lives in an institution or not, rather than assessing choice, autonomy, and community participation—core elements of Article 19.

The lack of affordable, accessible housing and adequately funded community-based services, particularly personal assistance, means that institutionalisation remains the default option. Only a small number of Member States have adopted comprehensive deinstitutionalisation strategies, and these often lack clear targets, timelines, and monitoring mechanisms. Funding remains fragmented, and in some cases, EU funds continue to support institutional care. Moreover, rights-based, person-centred support is inconsistently implemented, while persons with disabilities and their representative organisations are frequently excluded from meaningful participation in policymaking.

Persistent structural and cultural barriers—including reliance on the medical model of disability, inaccessible housing and transport, substitute decision-making regimes, and low societal expectations—continue to impede progress. Although positive steps are being taken, systemic gaps in legislation, funding, and service provision undermine the goal of independent living and full inclusion in the community.

The upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034 could offer an opportunity to respond to ongoing gaps in disability inclusion and social investment. The current Commission’s proposal assumes that the MFF’s results-based delivery approach, combined with mutually reinforcing investments and reforms, will generate greater impact on meeting objectives. The National and Regional Partnership Plans could contribute to move the EU and MS closer to fulfilling their CRPD commitments by strengthening monitoring and accountability, like introducing indicators on disability that track access to education, employment, healthcare, long-term care, independent living or  community-based services. This could help to ensure that EU investments result in real improvements in inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities. However, in the current proposal it is unclear how the new MFF will address these aspects, and therefore co-legislators will play a key role in shaping the new MFF and related regulations, the ESF+ and other funding instruments that should aim to include stronger protections, clearer social spending rules, and more inclusive funding to prevent the misuse of EU resources. Civil society organisations have called for introducing new control mechanisms intended to discourage the use of EU funds for inaccessible or segregating infrastructure, and for stronger participation of disability groups throughout the budget cycle.

EU-Level Insights

Ten years after the EU’s first review under UN CRPD, the 2025 assessment shows both progress and persistence. While policies such as the European Accessibility Act and the Disability Rights Strategy signal growing commitment, implementation remains inconsistent. Misuse of funds, accessibility barriers, and limited participation continue to undermine the EU’s obligations.

With the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034, the EU faces a pivotal opportunity to turn commitments into action. Stronger safeguards, accountability, and meaningful involvement of disability-led organisations could transform this moment into genuine progress toward equality and independent living. The following conclusions and recommendations outline the main gaps and the concrete steps needed to achieve full CRPD compliance across the Union.

Conclusions

• Persistent implementation gap: Despite the adoption of the UN CRPD and repeated reviews, many of the concerns raised in 2015 remain relevant in 2025. Misuse of EU funds, accessibility barriers, and limited participation of persons with disabilities highlight a continued gap between commitments and practice.
• Policy progress achieved: The EU has made significant strides at the policy level, with initiatives such as a directive which requires websites and mobile applications to meet accessibility standards, the European Accessibility Act, the Disability Rights Strategy, and the Guidance on Independent Living. These show responsiveness to earlier CRPD recommendations but have not yet translated into consistent change on the ground.
• Systemic weaknesses remain: The absence of a comprehensive and enforceable EU-wide legal framework beyond employment leaves many rights insufficiently protected. Persons with disabilities still face institutionalisation and exclusion, pointing to structural shortcomings.
• Critical role of funding frameworks: The MFF 2021–2027 offered some progress but lacked safeguards and monitoring to advance disability rights effectively. The MFF 2028–2034 can offer an opportunity to be more ambitious, with stronger protections, clearer social spending rules, and more inclusive funding. Its impact will depend on national implementation, civil society involvement, and EU enforcement, which could determine whether it moves the EU closer to fulfilling its CRPD commitments. Since it is unclear how the new MFF proposal will deliver on these objectives, co-legislators have a key role to play in ensuring it is shaped effectively.

Policy Recommendations

• Fill the data gap: Develop a minimum dataset with clear definitions and descriptions of key elements that enable monitoring of not only living arrangements and service use, but also of choice of living arrangement (where and with whom), the support provided for decision-making, and participation in community life. The data should include broader quality-of-life indicators to inform monitoring of Article 19 and other UN CRPD rights. This work should be undertaken collaboratively with researchers, subject-matter experts, and organisations of persons with disabilities to ensure efficiency, validity and robustness.
• Strengthen the ideological framework: Ensure that all relevant documentation, including EU funding requirements, clearly states that deinstitutionalisation applies to all persons with disabilities. No one should be required to live in residential care; everyone, regardless of the severity or complexity of support needs, can live in their own home when appropriate support is
• Close the implementation gap: Establish an EU-wide monitoring and enforcement mechanism to ensure that CRPD commitments translate into practice, with sanctions for misuse of funds or persistent non-compliance. Strengthen the role of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the Equality Bodies network in monitoring disability rights. Ensure that the quality of support provided is included in this, not just the model of care delivered.
• Finalise and adopt the Framework on Social Services of Excellence without further delay, ensuring it is developed through meaningful consultation with organisations of persons with disabilities and service providers. The Framework should include clear quality standards, monitoring mechanisms, and funding conditions aligned with the CRPD and the EU’s commitments to independent living.
• Strengthen the legal framework: Adopt a comprehensive EU Disability Equality Directive extending protection beyond employment, covering education, housing, healthcare, political participation, and access to goods and services. Harmonise accessibility standards across Member States with enforceable compliance mechanisms.
• Make EU funding disability-proof: Enforce strict conditionalities in the MFF 2028–2034 to prohibit investment in institutional care or inaccessible infrastructure. Introduce mandatory disability impact assessments and transparent reporting of how EU funds advance independent living.
• Institutionalise participation: Require meaningful involvement of disabled people´s organisations (DPOs) at every stage of EU decision-making and budget planning. Provide core funding to strengthen DPOs’ capacity so participation is not tokenistic.
• Seize the transformative potential of the new MFF: Operationalise the social spending quota by earmarking funds for community-based services, personal assistance, and accessibility improvements. Develop EU-level disability indicators to track outcomes on education, employment, housing, and deinstitutionalisation:

Member States – Level Insights

Across EU Member States, progress toward fulfilling Article 19 of the UN CRPD—the right to live independently and be included in the community—remains slow, uneven, and fragmented. While some countries have taken steps toward deinstitutionalisation, many continue to rely on institutional models of care, often supported by public or EU funds. Structural barriers such as inadequate housing, underdeveloped community-based services, and limited personal assistance persist, reflecting both policy and practice gaps.

Cultural resistance and the continued dominance of medicalised approaches further hinder reform, while the participation of persons with disabilities and their organisations in policymaking remains limited or tokenistic. These findings underscore the need for stronger legal and financial frameworks, clearer accountability, and a genuine shift toward rights-based community living. The following conclusions and recommendations highlight the key challenges and outline the actions needed to accelerate CRPD implementation Member States level.

Conclusions

• Slow and uneven implementation: Progress on Article 19 CRPD across the EU remains fragmented, with institutionalisation persisting or even increasing in several countries. Smaller group homes often reproduce segregation rather than enable inclusion.
• Structural barriers: Affordable, accessible housing and adequately funded community-based services are insufficient, leaving institutional care as the default. Fragmented funding, continued misuse of EU funds for institutions, and inconsistent definitions of “institution” undermine reform.
• Policy and practice gaps: While some countries have strategies for deinstitutionalisation, most lack measurable targets, monitoring, or timelines. Person-centred support, personal assistance, and individualised budgets are underdeveloped and underfunded.
• Cultural and attitudinal resistance: Medicalised models of disability and low expectations persist, with deinstitutionalisation sometimes treated as optional rather than a rights-based obligation.
• Participation deficit: Persons with disabilities and their organisations are not meaningfully or consistently involved in shaping policies, and consultations are often fragmented or tokenistic.

Policy recommendations

• Strengthen the ideological framework: Emphasise a support-based rather than readiness-based model of community living. Where small group homes are proposed, this should be recognised as a system limitation, not an individual need, and must be accompanied by an explanation and plan for transitioning to non-residential, individualised supports.
• Accelerate deinstitutionalisation: Adopt binding national deinstitutionalisation strategies with clear timelines, measurable targets, and adequate funding. Redirect national and EU funds away from institutions (including smaller group homes that replicate segregation) toward community-based housing and support.
• Address structural barriers: Invest in affordable, accessible housing linked with social support and personal assistance services. Ensure sustainable financing for community-based services through long-term national budget commitments.
• Close policy and practice gaps: Set measurable objectives and monitoring frameworks for disability inclusion, aligned with Article 19 CRPD. Expand personal assistance schemes and individualised budgets to support autonomy and independent living.
• Change mindsets and practices: Run awareness campaigns and provide training for professionals to shift away from medicalised models of disability. Embed the rights-based approach in all social, health, and education policies, treating deinstitutionalisation as a legal obligation, not an option.

Guarantee meaningful participation: Create permanent, well-resourced consultation platforms for DPOs at national and local levels. Ensure co-design of policies, monitoring, and funding decisions with DPOs, going beyond consultation to genuine power-sharing.