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European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities

EASPD

EASPD is a non-profit association representing 20,000 disability service providers across Europe, advocating for equal opportunities and quality services for people with disabilities.

Lobbying Activity

EASPD urges binding social rights in next EU budget

12 Nov 2025
Topic — The European Commission is consulting on the performance framework for the next long-term budget.
Message — The organization calls for mandatory social rights compliance and the exclusion of infrastructure projects from social spending categories. They also advocate for data tracking that specifically identifies results for people with disabilities.123
Why — These changes would protect dedicated funding for community-based social services from being diverted elsewhere.4
Impact — Large infrastructure projects would no longer be able to claim social inclusion funding.5
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EASPD urges social economy inclusion in EU competitiveness fund

12 Nov 2025
Topic — This consultation covers EU funds designed to support future European economic competitiveness.
Message — The group asks to recognize disability services as a strategic sector for growth. They propose including social economy organizations in governance and improving access to financial instruments.12
Why — The proposal would secure dedicated budget lines and simplify access to microfinance for members.345
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Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – implementing EU funding with Member States and regions

3 Nov 2025

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is the leading voice of disability services across Europe. Representing over 20,000 services in 50 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support. Our work focuses on key areas essential to quality support provision. This includes inclusive living, employment, education, early childhood intervention, person-centred technology, workforce development and human resources, arts, culture & sport, and policy impact. This contribution is primarily based on the joint statement 100 Billion for Social Spending? The Devils in the Details, which assesses the EUs funding proposal with a particular focus on the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP) Regulation. The statement was coordinated by EASPD and supported by over 50 organisations representing civil society, social economy actors, social services, organisations active in education, training and youth, and trade unions. Together, we call for stronger safeguards, dedicated social funding, and the empowerment of local actors to ensure that the EUs social ambitions translate into tangible impact on the ground. Our analysis builds on 8 success factors that have made the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) an effective tool to address local needs and foster collaboration between public authorities, civil society, and the disability support sector to advance social inclusion. Among the main concerns: The centralisation of funding for social action, infrastructure, home, border and migration policies, fisheries, agriculture, and climate under national frameworks, which risks weakening regional participation and civil society involvement; undermining the partnership principle through broader and less targeted negotiations; prioritising political will over human rights-based action and commitments; favouring large-scale infrastructure investments over smaller, local, and innovative initiatives, thus penalising smaller beneficiaries. The downgrading of the ESF+ from a stand-alone fund with a dedicated budget line and governance structure to a general social spending target of 14%, which represents a de facto reduction compared to the current budget when inflation and infrastructure spending are considered; features weaker regulation, mainly integrated into the NRP framework; removes earmarking for social inclusion, child poverty, and material deprivation, eliminating guaranteed investments for excluded or disadvantaged groups. The removal of enabling conditions, which previously ensured that Member States had effective strategies and safeguards in place before EU funds were disbursed, leaving investments less accountable and potentially less effective. Based on this assessment we urge the European Commission and Member States to: Keep the ESF+ as a stand-alone and stronger fund, with a dedicated budget line ensuring that the EUs commitment to people remains a top priority, with safeguarded funding for social inclusion, the fight against child poverty, and support for those most at risk of material deprivation; Strengthen binding safeguards and monitoring mechanisms linking investments to EU-wide social policy objectives; Empower regional and local actors, including civil society and social economy through meaningful partnerships, and capacity building. When coming to social services and disability support, with an emphasis on accessibility, inclusion, and social objectives. We identified gaps in the NRPs social objectives, such as limited attention to inclusive education, social protection, worklife balance, and support for marginalised groups. The section also provides concrete recommendations to strengthen accessibility, mainstream disability inclusion, broaden social goals, and ensure minimum funding levels for key social priorities. You can find more in the paper attached.
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EASPD Urges Inclusion of Social Services in Anti-Poverty Strategy

17 Oct 2025
Topic — A new European initiative tackling the root causes of poverty through a life cycle perspective.
Message — EASPD calls for a European Social Services Action Plan to ensure access to affordable care. They want more investment in early childhood intervention and better recognition for informal carers. They also suggest creating a strategy for technology that supports independent living.123
Why — This would secure more stable public funding and improve staffing for disability service providers.45
Impact — Profit-driven companies competing mainly on low costs might lose their advantage in public tenders.6
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Social service providers seek new state aid category for non-profits

6 Oct 2025
Topic — A general revision of EU rules exempting specific state aid categories from prior notification.
Message — The group requests a new aid category for non-profit social services and higher funding limits. They also propose including a formal definition for supported employment alongside sheltered workshops.12
Why — Simplifying rules would reduce legal uncertainty and ensure better access to public funding.3
Impact — Vulnerable citizens and society lose access to essential care when state aid rules block funding.4
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Meeting with Chiara Gemma (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

25 Sept 2025 · Caregiver

Response to The new Action Plan on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights

10 Sept 2025

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is the leading voice of disability services across Europe. Representing over 20,000 services in 50 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support. Our work focuses on key areas essential to quality support provision. This includes Inclusive Living, Employment, Education, Early Childhood Intervention, Person-Centred Technology, Workforce Development and Human Resources, Arts, Culture & Sport, and Policy Impact. We welcome the initiative of the European Commission to develop a new Action Plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights as well as the opportunity to provide input to it. Building on the previous Action Plan, the new one must take a more cross-cutting approach to social services. In this regard EASPD supports the call of Social Services Europe (SSE) to develop an EU-wide/European Social Services Action Plan/Initiative, including concrete proposals on A) Supportive legal, financial, economic, and social framework conditions (at EU-level) for quality social services; B) Support for the social services workforce and for effective social dialogue and industrial relations; C) Ensuring service quality and the rights, quality of life, wellbeing, and participation of the people drawing on social services; and D) Full recognition of the specificity and added value of not-for-profit social and health care service providers in view of their contribution to social inclusion, social cohesion, local economic development and inclusive societies: https://www.socialserviceseurope.eu/proposal-of-a-social-services-action-plan. Principle 17 of the EPSR on inclusion of persons with disabilities has been mainly fulfilled by the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A strategy which built the foundations in different areas of life for people with disabilities, such as the Disability Employment Package, the Guidance on Independent Living and Inclusion in the Community, the EU Disability Card, among others. However, no new initiatives are foreseen after 2024 or concrete communication on the launch of new initiatives within the current strategy spanning the next 4-5 years. The new EPSR Action Plan should propose new initiatives that will also support the uptake of existing ones. Some proposals from EASPD include: 1. A Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee to support in increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities. 2. A guidance providing recommendations, promising practices and guidelines to enable Member States to use public procurement and State aid as tools to improve the labour market outcomes for persons with disabilities. 3. An Initiative on Early Childhood Intervention, focusing on the early years, key to avoid segregation and foster inclusion for the new generations. 4. An initiative to expand the EUs Disability Card provisions to facilitate access to social services and social protection schemes for persons with disabilities reallocating in another EU country. 5. A Council Recommendation on Legal Capacity and supported decision-making, underlining the importance and urgency to Member States for legal reforms &establishing supported decision-making schemes. 6. Scaling up the development of Independent Assistive Technology (AT) Centres in EU Member States to enhance accessibility fostering greater independence and social inclusion of people with disabilities with assistive technologies. EASPD stands ready to support the European Commission to build the new Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
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Response to Review of the State aid rules on the Services of General Economic Interest (“SGEI”)

31 Jul 2025

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation on the State Aid revision of the rules on SGEI. Representing over 20,000 services in over 50 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support. Persons with disabilities face significant difficulties when trying to access housing and specifically accessible housing. A large proportion of Europes housing stock remains inaccessible, 11% of persons with disabilities are being overburdened by housing costs, 4.4% face severe housing deprivation, and 15.1% are unable to keep their homes adequately warm. The lack of affordable and accessible community-based housing has been identified as a major obstacle to scaling up community living, with cases of persons disabilities forced to remain in temporary accommodations far longer than necessary due to the unavailability of suitable, permanent housing. The barriers are both physical and systemic, reflecting a wider failure to embed disability and inclusion in housing policy, leaving individuals at risk of long-term exclusion. In many cases, especially for people with intellectual disabilities, social services are the main providers of housing. These services often encounter significant difficulties in accessing social and affordable housing within the community. The ability of providers to support independent living is weakened by the shortage of available and accessible homes in inclusive settings. Social service providers and social economy actors active in the field of disability can use more the exemptions granted by the SGEI Decision, in relation to social housing, to support the provision of inclusive housing solutions to people with disabilities. Social housing can be considered as a Service of General Economic interest (SGEI), therefore, the SGEI decision can be applicable when it comes to providing state aid to social housing actors, including social services for persons with disabilities. Yet, as recognised also in the Social Economy Action Plan, the Member States largely underuse the SGEI decision that allows for more substantial funding. At the same time, the general de minimis Regulation or SGEI de minimis Regulation are overused. More specifically, the complexity of the SGEI Decision, in particular the rigid rules regarding the act of entrustment (Art. 4), requirements for determining the amount of compensation (Articles 5 and 6), and the citation requirement (Article 4(f)), has meant that in most EU MS it is used far too little in the field of social service provision. In order to make the SGEI Decision easier and more comprehensively applicable for the social services sector, EASPD supports Social Services Europe position (attached under this consultation) highlighting the need for the European Commission (EC) to issue specific guidelines focused on social SGEI. These guidelines should also include a note that the generalised application of the general de minimis Regulation in the field of social services across many EU MS should be avoided, and that in a first step the applicability of the, as a rule, content-wise more appropriate SGEI Decision should be examined by the local, regional or national authorities. The attachment contains a more detailed description of the practical problems and proposed solutions put forward by Social Services Europe on how to pragmatically address them.
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Response to Mid-Term Review: Social Economy Action Plan

16 Jul 2025

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is pleased to support the contribution by Social Services Europe (SSE), of which it is a founding member, to the European Commissions consultation on the Social Economy Action Plan (SEAP) Mid-Term Review. EASPD is the leading voice of disability services in Europe, representing an extensive network of 20,000 services in over 50 countries, the vast majority of which are social economy actors. EASPD brings a unique perspective on how to foster inclusive, fair, and high-quality employment for and alongside persons with disabilities and promotes human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality care and support. The SEAP has been an importantstep forward in recognising the value of social economy actors, including not-for-profit social and care service providers. It has helped to elevate their role in promoting social inclusion, supporting quality employment, and delivering essential services to millions across Europe. The adoption of the Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions further underlined this progress, notably by promoting better access to funding, socially responsible public procurement, and improved legal conditions for social economy entities. Yet important challenges remain. The sector continues to face workforce shortages, inadequate funding, and barriers to accessing EU instruments such as state aid exemptions and public procurement rules. The implementation of existing EU tools and guidance is uneven, and structural change is still needed to unlock the full potential of social services within the social economy. This paper sets out SSEs joint assessment of progress to date and presents forward-looking recommendations to guide the SEAPs implementation up to 2030. These recommendations, fully supported by EASPD, include: Strengthening legal and funding frameworks for social economy social services; Improving access to and use of EU programmes and State aid mechanisms; Supporting inclusive employment, particularly for persons with disabilities; Enhancing legal clarity on reserved contracts and social clauses; Ensuring coherence between EU policies on care, employment, and the social economy. The SEAP remains a key opportunity to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of social services. As the European Union develops the next phase of the Action Plan, it must work closely with social economy actors to ensure that policies are inclusive, effective, and tailored to real needs on the ground. EASPD fully supports the joint contribution from Social Services Europe and calls on the European Commission to take these recommendations forward in the second half of the SEAPs implementation.
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Meeting with Stefan Moser (Head of Unit Energy)

8 Jul 2025 · Social and affordable housing policies for persons with disabilities

Meeting with Agnese Papadia (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen)

5 Jun 2025 · Affordable Housing

Response to European Affordable Housing Plan

4 Jun 2025

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation on the EU Affordable Housing Plan. Representing over 20,000 services in over 46 different countries, we promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support. Our contribution is grounded in the expertise of our members who play a key role in providing essential services and pioneering the development and implementation of community-based solutions for persons with disabilities. It is based on their experience that we respond to this call for evidence. We urge the European Commission to ensure that this initiative becomes a transformative lever for inclusion, social justice, and the realisation of fundamental rights. This includes the right to live independently and be included in the community, as enshrined in Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which was ratified by the EU and all its Member States. For millions of persons with disabilities across Europe, access to affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing represents the gateway to autonomy and participation. Housing is also a critical element in the process of deinstitutionalisation. While many Member States have committed to closing large-scale institutional care facilities, progress has too often stalled due to a lack of suitable housing options, combined with a lack of accessibility of mainstream services, and fragmented support systems. Too many individuals remain in hospitals, institutions, or temporary accommodations due to the absence of accessible, affordable homes within the community. This situation reflects a housing system that has not yet fully recognised or accommodated the diverse needs of persons with disabilities, and a continued disconnect between housing, social care, and disability policies. EASPD calls for the Affordable Housing Plan to serve as a turning point for systemic change. This means: Addressing legal, administrative, and financial barriers to housing access for persons with disabilities, including for those under guardianship or facing discrimination in financial services; Recognising and supporting disability service providers as key actors in the provision of inclusive housing, ensuring they have access to funding, training, and policy frameworks that enable them to contribute fully to independent living solutions; Scaling up investment in accessible, community-based housing through EU funds and State Aid and public procurement at a national level; Aligning housing policies with the EU Disability Rights Strategy and national deinstitutionalisation plans; Strengthening cooperation between housing authorities, social services, and disability support providers, and Ensuring meaningful participation of persons with disabilities, their representative organisations, and social services in the design and delivery of housing policies. As the EU advances into the second phase of its Disability Strategy, the Affordable Housing Plan presents a unique opportunity to unlock rights that remain unrealised for many. Housing policy must not be developed in isolation, but as an integral part of a broader rights-based approach to inclusion, participation, and community life. With coordinated action, robust investment, and genuine inclusion, we can create a Europe where all people, including those with disabilities, have the right, the opportunity, and the support to live with dignity and independence in the community of their choice. Attached you can find our full paper with detailed recommendations. EASPD will also publish a collection of good practices on housing for persons with disabilities. EASPD will also publish a collection of good practices on housing for persons with disabilities.
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EASPD Urges EU to Prioritise Inclusive AI in Social Services

4 Jun 2025
Topic — The European Commission is seeking feedback on its strategy to accelerate AI adoption.
Message — The association calls for social services to be recognized as a strategic sector. They demand dedicated funding for digital tools and training for the workforce. AI must be co-designed with people with disabilities to ensure accessibility.123
Why — Adopting AI would reduce paperwork for staff and improve support service quality.45
Impact — Vulnerable groups face exclusion if digital tools ignore their specific accessibility needs.67
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Meeting with Valérie Devaux (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and European Disability Forum

24 Mar 2025 · handicap

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Director Justice and Consumers) and

18 Mar 2025 · Meeting with EASPD on disability policies and the current and future Commission equality policies

Meeting with Regina Doherty (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion) and EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION and

18 Mar 2025 · Public Procurement

Meeting with Isilda Gomes (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

19 Feb 2025 · Services for Persons with Disabilities

Meeting with Klára Dobrev (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Feb 2025 · Disability rights

Meeting with Idoia Mendia (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Jan 2025 · Meeting with EASPD

Meeting with Estelle Ceulemans (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2024 · Disabilities post 2024

Meeting with Leila Chaibi (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · EMPL related issues

Meeting with Klára Dobrev (Member of the European Parliament) and Women Against Violence Europe Network

16 Jul 2024 · The future of Social Europe

Meeting with Ádám Kósa (Member of the European Parliament) and European Disability Forum and Equinet - the European Network of Equality Bodies

16 Apr 2024 · Social inclusion of people with disabilities

Response to ESF+ mid-term evaluation

13 Feb 2024

The Helpdesk project reinforces the capacity of social services and managing authorities in using EU Funds, in particular the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for quality social inclusion projects, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights. The initiative is forged through a unique and cross-European partnership spanning the full range of social services, including services for children & families in poverty, work integration, persons with disabilities, homeless persons or people in poverty and older persons, and in collaboration with public authorities, including those with responsibility for planning and delivery of social services, as well as managing authorities and intermediate bodies of EU funds. During the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework period, the ESF+ continues to be essential for social services to face challenges such as chronic underfunding, staff shortages and transitioning to community-based and person-centred forms of services. This is even more important due to the increase in demand for social services in the current social context and a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the simplification measures that have been adopted in the ongoing programming period, some obstacles remain across the EU Member States and on the ground for providers of social services, delivered by not-for-profit organisations, local authorities, or others. These obstacles have been revealed in 10 National Knowledge Gathering events, a set of reports on the challenges and obstacles in accessing and using EU Funds, and the Facilitation and Policy workshops carried-out throughout the project. The project has identified 3 areas of improvement of the current ESF+ Regulation framework to facilitate access to ESF+ for social services and use it for quality social inclusion interventions: 1. Improving capacity in access to funds and in funding of quality initiatives 2. Building an enabling environment for social services to access ESF+ 3. Allocating Funds towards quality social interventions These points are further detailed in the full contribution in attachment.
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Meeting with Alicia Homs Ginel (Member of the European Parliament) and AGE Platform Europe

28 Mar 2023 · Socio-health care model with a person-centered approach

Meeting with Milan Brglez (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Feb 2023 · Staff level meeting on early childhood intervention policies

Meeting with Katrin Langensiepen (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Nov 2022 · Guaranteeing Early Childhood Intervention

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and

22 Jun 2022 · Social Platform position on an EU Solidarity Strategy to respond to the Ukraine crisis

Meeting with Helena Dalli (Commissioner) and Amnesty International Limited and

6 Apr 2022 · Cabinet Dalli invited Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to discuss concerns equality and non-discrimination CSOs are raising regarding the situation of people fleeing from the Ukraine

Response to Proposal for a Council Recommendation on long-term care

29 Mar 2022

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is the European not-for-profit organization representing over 20,000 social service providers in 34 European countries. EASPD is registered at the Transparency Register under the following number: 120906010805-50. Our members are active in a wide range of activities, especially in care and support services, employment, education and training, and early childhood intervention. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is one of the key areas of work for EASPD. It is only through the inclusion and support of children from the youngest age, in their family life and community, that they will be able to participate in society, be included at school, workplaces, and enjoy the full range of their human rights. EASPD advocates thus for the establishing of ECI services systems at national level, to empower families and main caregivers in creating an environment that supports their children’s development and acquisition of competences during their first years of life. With adequate support, parents and caregivers can provide the best, sustainable, and affordable support for their children, who can in turn thrive and develop in a familiar environment. As a first step to increase the participation of all children in ECEC, it is fundamental to put in place policy frameworks comprising a mix of different measures including adequate care leaves, flexible working arrangements by choice and access to quality and affordable services. It is important to ensure good coordination between family leaves, childcare, and provision of other types of support. The second important element is about having be high-quality and inclusive ECEC services in place available, affordable, and accessible to all families though a range of system-wide strategies. This includes a shared definition of high quality ECEC, targeted measures towards identify which children are from disadvantaged families, stable funding for ECEC and families, and an ECEC curriculum framework which values inclusion. Also it is important that ECEC services adapt to the needs of families, in terms not only of accessibility, but also of flexibility in opening time. Here the EASPD key recommendations for Barcelona Targets revision which would improve the inclusion of children with disabilities their families in ECEC: 1. Embed the Barcelona Targets within Child Guarantee. The Child Guarantee action plans can be their instrument of implementation, and their monitoring part of national action plans and EU Semester process. 2. Start earlier than ECEC. Invest in establishing and strengthening early childhood intervention services systems for children with disabilities. 3. Ensure cooperation and coordination between healthcare, social and education sectors. 4. Create evidence-based policies based on the analysis of existing barriers to the participation of children with disabilities in ECEC. 5. Ensure consistent monitoring. Disaggregate data should monitor children with disabilities participation in ECEC and relate this analysis with the policy measures in place. 6. Create inclusive legal frameworks for ECEC. 7. Ensure that ECEC staff is properly trained and equipped for inclusion. You can find more details about EASPD views and references in the attached EASPD position paper on Barcelona Targets Revision. EASPD is a member of the Alliance for Investing in Children and also supports the Alliance's contribution to the Barcelona Targets' revision that will be submitted separately by other members of the Alliance.
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Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)

17 May 2021 · Green Paper on Ageing

Meeting with Astrid Dentler (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica)

10 May 2021 · Green Paper on Ageing, long-term care, disability services

Response to Social Economy Action Plan

26 Apr 2021

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities welcomes the possibility to provide its view and contribute on the future EU Action Plan on SOial Economy.
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Meeting with Eva Gerhards (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli), Silvan Agius (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli) and

22 Mar 2021 · Exchange of Views on the Transition from institutional to Community-based Care.

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

14 Dec 2020 · Meeting on the European Disability Strategy.

Response to Union of Equality: European Disability Rights Strategy

12 Nov 2020

The following issues are seen as a priority by EASPD for the European Disability Strategy post 2020: • Recognition for social care and support services – Awareness-raising and clear communication needed at European level about the role of social care and support services in delivering social rights. Care is often seen as unpaid work and is excluded from strategic economic and political discussions on investment, job creation, digitalisation, innovation. This sector is essential and needs to be recognised as such. • Sustainable funding and investment in services - Social care and support services is a highly underfunded sector. Funding has always been a core challenge, with service providers depending highly on charitable contributions and availability of public funding. European initiatives on European Social Fund +, Recovery and Resilience Facility as well as on Social economy enterprises are in the best position to ensure that social care and support providers are no longer left aside; however a strong recognition on their role should be guaranteed in the European Disability Strategy post 2020. • Digitalisation and innovation – Millions of people have been forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to switch to teleworking, distant learning and other modes of digital communication. This has brought up the digital gap in the sector of social care and support due to the lack of digital skills and infrastructure, both among service users and services themselves. • Workforce development - Social service provision is also one of Europe’s biggest job creators. Europe-wide initiatives are needed to improve the recruitment, retention, training and re-training of staff in social care and support services, especially among young people. The lack of social dialogue is not facilitating the promotion of good conditions for a qualified workforce which should be at the heart of quality support service delivery. • Improved data collection and indicators for disability – While inclusion of persons with disabilities is well understood at EU level, its implementation on the ground requires policies that are needs-driven. Any positive progress on the inclusion of persons with disabilities needs comparable and disability disaggregated data on their access to employment, education, healthcare, long-term care, etc. • Disability and non-discrimination – Disability must be mainstreamed in all areas of policy and action. The measures necessitated by the pandemic should not undo the years of progress done on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. It is important to put in place necessary measures ensuring that persons with disabilities are not disproportionately hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
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Response to European Child Guarantee

7 Oct 2020

EASPD fully supports the development of a comprehensive Council Recommendation for a Child Guarantee, that would ensure adequate support is given to Europe’s most vulnerable children. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that investing in children is not only crucial for the child’s development and to empower the child’s rights, but has also numerous short and long term positive impact on society and the economy, such as facilitating a healthy work-life balance, lowering the long-term costs of support care, and facilitate the long-term inclusion in society. This initiative is the kind of legislation the European Union needs to foster an inclusive Europe of common values, and to show its added value for those most in need. It is therefore critical to ensure this Child Guarantee has the needed tools and framework to succeed. The Council Recommendation on Investing in Children had highlighted three key aspects, namely family support, access to quality services, and the child participation. The Child Guarantee, should make sure that these three aspects are well represented. A section should be dedicated to services for each target group, including children with disabilities. Services, both public and private, have a key role to play to support families, carers, children, etc. in taking an active part in society and fully benefitting from this Child Guarantee. While other elements, such as a minimum income for families, can help, it cannot be enough as it doesn’t alter the environment’s capacity to support and empower children. Families and children need quality, inclusive services to fully enjoy their rights. However, children services across Europe face numerous challenges, such as - Recruitment of staff; - Training of staff; - Sustainable public funding, in particular in times of crisis such as during the COVID-19 pandemic; - Availability of sufficient services to support all children – in particular in rural areas The Child Guarantee is the perfect tool to support the efforts of the European Union and Member States in improving the legal and financial frameworks for support services for vulnerable children. The Child Guarantee has the potential to deliver important changes for our most vulnerable children, and we must make sure that we can capitalise on this opportunity. EASPD is ready to continue its work with the European institutions, its members, and its partners to ensure the success of this initiative.
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Response to Achieving the European Education Area

19 Aug 2020

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) welcomes the European Commission’s roadmap on the European Education Area (EEA) and its ambition to enable all learners across Europe to have access to a high-quality, inclusive education by 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent closure of most schools, training centres and universities across Europe has been a major challenge to the continued education of large numbers of learners. While many schools have adapted quickly and have developed efficient methods of remote schooling, others have fallen behind, leaving many students, particularly those with support needs, without access to quality education and at risk of exclusion from society. If Europe is to successfully recover from the pandemic, as well as build a more resilient society and economy, it is crucial that access to high-quality education and training opportunities for everyone is prioritised, in line with the objectives set out by the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights. As a result, EASPD supports the European Commission’s aim to “reinforce the commitment to make quality and inclusive education and training available to all” via the EEA. EASPD also welcomes the Commission’s recognition of the importance of quality early childhood education and care as the first building blocks for the EEA. To ensure the successful implementation of the EEA, EASPD recommends that: • The EEA recognises the key role support services play in enabling all learners, particularly those from vulnerable groups, to access high-quality, inclusive learning opportunities in mainstream settings • The European Commission promotes co-production, the continuous involvement of all stakeholders in the design, development and delivery of education initiatives. • Address the inclusion of vulnerable groups in education and lifelong learning programmes via a twin track approach • Facilitate the increased data collection and monitoring of the inclusion of learners in education systems across Europe • Ensure that the initiatives of the EEA are supported with the appropriate investment and funding • Create Stronger links between the Child Guarantee and the EEA to achieve their joint objectives To conclude, EASPD welcomes the European Commission’s Roadmap for Achieving the European Education Area and its commitment to bringing down to learning for everyone. To do this they must recognise the key role of support services in making the EEA a reality and facilitate their work; include all stakeholders in the design, development and delivery of these initiatives and ensure the EEA is supported with adequate funding and investment. EASPD looks forward to continuing to support the establishment of a cohesive European Education Area that enables all young people to benefit from the best education and training, and to find employment across Europe.
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Response to Digital Education Action Plan

8 Jul 2020

The European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) welcomes the European Commission’s development of a Digital Education Action Plan and its aim of making online learning available to all. While working across Europe to support the education of children and adults with support needs during the current COVID-19 outbreak, EASPD’s members have experienced a number of common challenges to adapting education & training systems to the digital age and harnessing the potential of the internet to make online learning available to all. These challenges have included: - The inaccessibility of online platforms and digital technology for persons with support needs, especially persons with disabilities - Many learners, families, schools and support services do not have access to the hardware (eg computers and tablets) or digital infrastructure (eg an internet connection) to be able to utilise the opportunities of online learning - Stakeholders do not have the required training to be able to use digital learning tools and technology. To make online learning possible for all it is firstly crucial that online platforms and digital technology are made fully accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. The use of digital networks, e.g videoconferencing, internet access, is becoming as essential as any other utility. As such, having access to robust broadband with accessible hardware and software is paramount to those individuals and families with disability. It is, therefore, vital that any digital plan must include all community members and invite all digital providers to take the population of those with disabilities into account. While online platforms and digital tools hold many opportunities, they require that students, their families, schools and support services have access to hardware and digital infrastructure (for example access to the internet). As a result, it is crucial that this plan addresses increasing the access all stakeholders (learners, families, schools, support service providers and training providers) have to digital hardware. Without access to such resources, disadvantaged groups are at risk falling behind in the digital transformation of our societies and of further experiencing increased inequality and exclusion. For a long-term vision of the digital transformation of education & training in the EU the training of all stakeholders, such as families and support and social care staff for persons with disabilities, including the 11 million professionals working in the sector, is needed also. Additional support must also be given to schools and training organisations themselves, to ensure that they can use first adapt and utilise technology in their education and training systems, before educating their students and increasing digital literacy amongst learners. Without such support, some schools are at risk of falling behind, putting the education and inclusion of learners at risk. Support and social care providers can play a key role in supporting schools and training providers in this transition process, facilitating their uptake of new technologies and ensuring the inclusion of all learners and so should be acknowledged as a key partner in this process.
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Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

29 Apr 2020 · Videoconference meeting on social support care service and COVID-19

Meeting with Stella Kyriakides (Commissioner) and SGI Europe and

29 Apr 2020 · VC meeting on the Impact of COVID-19 on Social Services and the risks for persons in vulnerable situations

Meeting with Dubravka Šuica (Vice-President) and

29 Apr 2020 · Social Services in Europe, Statutory Duties of Public Social Services, Explanation, Impact & challenges of COVID-19, Elderly, Role of the EU, Rights of persons with disabilities, social dialogue & cross-sectoral social dialogue

Meeting with Nora Bednarski (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli), Silvan Agius (Cabinet of Commissioner Helena Dalli)

19 Feb 2020 · Implementation of the UN CRPD, priorities for the future EU Disability Strategy and anti-discrimination legislation at European level.

Meeting with Mattia De' Grassi (Cabinet of Vice-President Dubravka Šuica)

13 Feb 2020 · The Conference on the Future of Europe and the possibilities for organisations like EASPD to get involved in the process - Demographic change, ageing - Rural areas - Long-term care, care services - Child Guarantee

Meeting with Marianne Thyssen (Commissioner)

26 Apr 2019 · Labour market integration of Persons with disability

Meeting with Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen)

22 Oct 2018 · EFSI, Invest EU

Meeting with Florentine Hopmeier (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen) and European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless and

22 Oct 2018 · Discussion on addressing social sector needs in the InvestEU Programme

Meeting with Baudouin Baudru (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen) and Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union and

24 Apr 2018 · MFF

Response to Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care

16 Apr 2018

EASPD, the European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities, welcomes the perspective the Commission is taking in its initiative for a regulation on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). In this field more so than ever, it is crucial for the development of the child and parents to benefit from affordable community-based services that could provide support from the very early stages of life to both the child and his caregivers. A lack of support or placing young children in institutions not only hampers the child’s development and causes or worsens developmental delays, but in the latter also places him/her in an ongoing state of dependency on institutional care throughout life. Breaking the cycle of institutionalisation and empowering young people to become active participants in our society begins with providing a nurturing and loving environment in the family, with the support of specialised services provided in the natural environment of the child. The aim of ECEC is to support families and significant caregivers as mediators for their children's acquisition of competences within natural environments, enabling children and their families to meaningfully participate and support their development during their daily routines. In this way, children can maximise their development, achieve their potential and also build strong and enduring relationships with key people in their lives. In this regard, ECEC must operate from the perspective that each child, no matter what developmental challenges faced, will learn and grow through relationships with his or her family and significant caregivers, supported by and in partnership with highly trained skilled professionals under a family-centred approach. ECEC should be based on the following principles: • Relational – focused on developing positive communication and building strong relationships between children and their social world; • Empowering families – using participatory practices to give families choice to decide the support that they need. • Collaborative – • Transdisciplinary- • Family-centred – the focus should be both on the child’s needs and on the family as the child’s primary place for growing up • Inclusive – adapting the environment to the needs of the child and developing skills that allow a meaningful participation in all activities; • ·Community-based– not only in location but also actively participating in the community’s life and activities; • Reflective – review, questioning, learning, thinking and discussion between staff and families, and paying particular attention to what children wants; • Based on the best available knowledge and practices, and underpinned by scientific evidence and effective training; • Part of the life cycle approach – facilitating the transition of children to inclusive education and later to inclusive employment; • Available for all children and their families at risk and with support needs; • Accessible, adaptable and affordable for all families living in the territory of a country; • Integrated the necessary medical and health support children.; • Make use of informal support networks. It is only through the inclusion and support of children from the youngest age in their family and community that they will be able to participate in society, be included at school, enter the open labour market, and enjoy the full range of their human rights.
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Meeting with Baudouin Baudru (Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssen)

13 Feb 2018 · Investment in social infrastructure

Meeting with Florentine Hopmeier (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen)

8 Feb 2018 · Social Infrastructure Investments

Response to An agenda for the modernisation of higher education

28 Mar 2017

Our modern societies are characterised by their diversity and complexity, and we must actively work towards social inclusion to face the future challenges . As highlighted in the Roadmap for this initiative, “Higher education could do more to tackle social divisions”. Aside from its role in innovation and high-skills, higher education has an important role as a model of what individuals can achieve. As such it must make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in higher education and contribute to society to the best of their abilities. The more systematic inclusion in teachers’ curriculum of modules on inclusion would be a first step in ensuring a broader social inclusion in higher education. In its report, Eurostat underlined that only 15% disabled persons attain first and second stage of tertiary education, 10 points below average . EASPD thus invites the Commission to give the necessary attention to this issue, and include people with disabilities as a priority target group along people from low socio-economic and migrant groups. Recommendations - If the Commission aims to “understand better the patterns of change in the labour market and graduates’ careers”, the initiative must be articulated around gathering disaggregated data. On one hand, key indicators for graduates should include women, people with disabilities, third country nationals, etc. On the other hand, key sector such as the social sector should be identified in order to assess the impact of employment strategies on different sectors. As one of the sectors with the largest job creation potential, the health and social services sector must be promoted and valorised to encourage young people to opt in this career path . - In order to promote “student-centred learning and teaching, […] and good curriculum design”, EASPD invites the Commission to promote the use of the Universal Design for Learning methodology , according to which the provision of skills and competences is designed having in mind the needs of all learners. Furthermore, flexible curricula allow education providers to deliver flexible certifications adapted to the skills acquired. By not focusing on the needs and challenges but rather on the abilities of the individual, this methodology facilitates the promotion of the skills and competences of each individual and the transition to the labour market. - For higher education institutions to become more inclusive, it’s important to include all stakeholders in the design of the support offered, so that it answers the needs of the users. Disability support services in particular should be directly involved in the design and delivery of the support, to ensure the unique expertise and knowledge they have developed facilitates the inclusion of people with disabilities. Furthermore, teachers, staff and HEI themselves need quality support from such specialised services to manage the development of more inclusive learning environments.
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Response to Coordinated approach to (tertiary) graduate tracking

28 Mar 2017

The models of education and employment used in the Member States of the European Union are too often not adapted and representative to our modern diverse and multicultural societies, and have difficulties in including and supporting everyone. There is a need to develop new education and employment strategies that take into account the specific needs of all individuals, and empower them to become active citizens. A first step is to increase and improve the information available on the impact of these strategies. In this regard, EASPD welcomes the objectives of the initiative, which aim at improving the tracking of graduates when they try to join the labour market. For this objective to be possible, it is however paramount that the policy makers receive data that reflect the reality and complexity both of the labour market and of the graduates. Effective education, training and employment strategies can only be formulated if the target groups are correctly identified. Recommendation The initiative should thus be articulated around gathering disaggregated data. On one hand, key indicators for graduates should include women, people with disabilities, third country nationals, etc. On the other hand, key sector such as the social sector should be identified in order to assess the impact of employment strategies on different sectors. As one of the sectors with the largest job creation potential, the health and social services sector must be promoted and valorised to encourage young people to opt in this career path .
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Meeting with Marlene Madsen (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen), Miguel Gil Tertre (Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen)

8 Apr 2016 · EFSI