European citizens were once again asked to cast a vote for European Parliament elections. While for many people, this represented a simple task efficiently completed in a matter of minutes, for many others, elections brought along substantial barriers that hindered their right to vote. As the Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) stated, “there is still work to be done to overcome persisting challenges so that all the voices of people with disabilities are heard in elections.”

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights analyzed the status of people with disabilities in politics in the report “Political Participation of People with Disability in the EU” released in May 2024. 

According to the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, signed by the EU, every human being should be entitled to the right to vote and to political participation; however, due to deficiencies in the system, the rights of 800,000 EU citizens were breached. 

The main challenges faced regarded legal restrictions to the right, lack of accessibility, lack of awareness, and administrative barriers to political participation. 

The report brought forward some suggestions for securing the right to vote for people with disabilities. According to the FRA, legal restrictions on voting rights and standing for elections shall be lifted. Moreover, voting, facilities and election materials must be delivered in accessible formats, and election authorities should be trained in disability awareness throughout the election process. Political participation shall be facilitated by removing administrative barriers and supporting people to cast their votes. Finally, data shall be collected to obtain a picture of political participation of people with disabilities.

At the same time, states have also developed positive practices such as public broadcasting and dedicated transport to facilitate voting. Additionally, the EU promoted a Disability Strategy with the view to contribute to the right to vote of people with disabilities.