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Inclusion Indicators 2023

Union of equality? Here’s the reality. Half of EU countries don’t allow people with intellectual disabilities to vote. 700,000 people are forced to live in harmful segregated institutional “care”.

New report shows for the first time what the “European way of life” means for 20 million people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

“This is the reality for millions of people,” says Jyrki Pinomaa, president of Inclusion Europe and father of two adult sons with disabilities. “Despite the EU and all countries legally committing to rights and inclusion persons with disabilities, they deny them a good life and their basic rights.

“Governments don’t even care enough to collect and provide data about the situation. But now, we have this information, and it is not a good look.”

This new report shows information about 29 countries, 23 of them in the EU.

Key findings

Not being allowed to decide about ones’ life

  • In 26 countries a person’s legal capacity can be removed, and they cannot decide about their own money, or where to live, or who to marry.
  • In 7 countries people under guardianship cannot vote at all.
  • In 15 countries people with intellectual disabilities are restricted to stand for elections.
  • Only 5 countries fully respect the right to vote and make voting accessible.

All of these are grave violations of people’s rights as protected by law signed by these countries (UN CRPD).

Segregated in harmful places

  • 750,000 people with intellectual disabilities must live in segregated “care” institutions with 30 persons or more in one place.
  • 39,000 “live” in psychiatric hospitals.

No place to live, support left for families to provide

  • In 21 countries few or no adults with intellectual disabilities live in their own place. That is a far cry from how adults in Europe typically live.
  • Many are forced to segregated institutions (see above).
  • Many more live with their parents until they are unable to provide daily support. Family members become disability support providers instead of being just parents or siblings.

Education on a good path

  • 1,1 million children with intellectual disabilities are in mainstream schools. This allows them to grow up alongside their non-disabled schoolmates, develop important skills, and belong in the community where they live.
  • Still, 700,000 are in special schools, deprived of the positive effects of inclusive schooling.
  • 20,000 children with intellectual disabilities are getting no education at all.

Looking for a workforce?

  • Less than 10% of people with intellectual disabilities have a paid job. (Employment rate for people with disabilities in general is 50%, and 75% for people without disabilities.)
  • In 17 countries people with intellectual disabilities risk losing disability benefits when they earn their salary.
  • Similarly, lack of support means family members, mostly women, have to leave the labour market and stay at home with their disabled family member.

On a continent strained for workforce, surely governments and businesses could do worse than engage and benefit from people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

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