Social services for persons with disabilities: towards genuine inclusion and independent living

This article is brought to you in association with the European Economic and Social Committee.

At its March 2026 plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an exploratory opinion on how to ensure social inclusion and independent living for persons with disabilities through high‑quality, specialised social services. Building on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030, and years of civil‑society advocacy, the Committee sets out a clear roadmap to close the gap between commitments and reality. 

The “Social services for persons with disabilities” opinion warns that too many people with disabilities still face segregation, inadequate services and barriers to legal capacity and calls for binding EU legislation, stronger monitoring and smarter use of EU funds to ensure that community‑based living becomes a guaranteed right, not an aspiration. 

The Committee grounds its work in Articles 12 and 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which guarantee equal recognition before the law and the right to independent living. It stresses that these articles must be implemented together: people can only choose where and with whom they live if their legal capacity is fully recognised. Despite ratification by all Member States, Europe still struggles to transform these obligations into everyday reality, with many relying on outdated institutional models. 

During the plenary debate preceding the opinion’s adoption, rapporteur Pietro Barbieri explained: “Thanks to the Cypriot presidency, which has allowed the EESC to seriously reflect on the right of people with disabilities to choose where and with whom they live” before adding, “Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go: data indicates growing segregation. To break this vicious cycle, we need binding measures, starting with the European Union funds, and the adoption of Article 12 of the CRPD, from safeguards to decision-making support.“

Independent living is still out of reach for many

Although the EU’s 2021–2030 Disability Strategy identifies independent living as a priority, the opinion highlights a stark implementation gap. Institutionalisation remains widespread, with at least 1.4 million people still living in institutions – a figure that appears to be rising. Many Member States continue to use EU funds to renovate or rebuild institutions despite rules meant to prevent this. Political inertia, insufficient accessible housing and inconsistent national reforms hinder progress. 

The EESC emphasises that many persons with disabilities across Europe remain subject to guardianship or similar regimes that remove or restrict their legal capacity. This makes genuine independent living impossible. The opinion reiterates that substitute decision‑making must be replaced with supported decision‑making in line with the CRPD. 

De‑institutionalisation at a standstill

The Committee warns of a worrying trend: instead of progress, Europe is witnessing stagnation or even backsliding. Some transitions labelled “community‑based” replicate institutional cultures in smaller settings, leaving people with little freedom or decision‑making power. Trans‑institutionalisation (moving people from one form of institution to another without restoring autonomy) remains common. The opinion also highlights that persons with intellectual disabilities are among the least likely to benefit from reforms. 

A major obstacle exposed by the opinion is the lack of reliable, harmonised data. There is no EU‑wide system tracking how many people are deprived of legal capacity or living in institutions. This statistical invisibility prevents proper monitoring and enables regressions to go unnoticed. The Committee calls for Eurostat and the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to work with disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) to build robust indicators. 

EU funds must stop financing segregation

The EESC points to a serious contradiction: despite rules against funding segregation, EU structural funds are still used to support institutional facilities. This happens because Member States resist stricter conditionalities and because monitoring often excludes DPOs. The Committee warns that cohesion objectives too often override human‑rights obligations, leading to investments that undermine inclusion instead of enabling it. It calls for safeguards, earmarked budgets, independent monitoring and the option to suspend payments when funds are misused. 

The opinion welcomes the new Framework for Social Services of Excellence but stresses that it risks remaining theoretical unless accompanied by significant reforms. High‑quality services require a person‑centred approach rooted in user‑managed models, independent living centres, peer counselling and personal budgets. They also depend on dismantling medical‑based disability assessments and ensuring real choice and control for service users. Lack of staff, underfunding and outdated infrastructure remain major barriers. 

The Committee believes that soft law alone cannot deliver change. It calls for a binding directive that operationalises Article 19 of the UNCRPD, clearly defining what constitutes an institution versus a community‑based service. Mandatory national de‑institutionalisation strategies, complete with deadlines, budgets and outcome indicators, should be co‑designed with DPOs. Structural reforms in the use of EU funds – including earmarking ESF+ and ERDF resources for accessible housing and support services – are essential to drive systemic transformation. 

Towards a Europe where everyone can choose how to live

Ensuring equal recognition before the law, ending institutionalisation and guaranteeing access to high‑quality, community‑based support are essential to building a Union of Equality. The Committee makes it clear that meaningful change requires binding legislation, true partnership with disabled people’s organisations and accountability at every stage. Only then can Europe ensure that all persons with disabilities can live with dignity, autonomy and full inclusion in their communities.