Inclusive Futures Lab: Shaping Europe’s Next Disability Strategy

2026-07-22

"Inclusive Futures Lab: Shaping Europe’s Next Disability Strategy (IF-Lab) is a transnational initiative under Priority 1 of the CERV Programme, aimed at empowering persons with disabilities, caregivers, educators, employers, and policymakers to collaboratively shape the future of EU disability policies beyond 2030. Despite significant advances, citizens with disabilities and their families continue to face barriers in education, employment, and daily life across the EU, and their lived experiences remain underrepresented in shaping strategic frameworks like the European Disability Strategy. IF-Lab will address this gap by providing inclusive, accessible, and participatory platforms at both local and European levels, fostering active citizen engagement in democratic processes. Through a methodology grounded in participatory, intersectional, and gender-sensitive practices—integrating non-formal education, deliberative democracy tools, art-based co-creation, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—the project will implement local labs across partner countries focusing on inclusive education, employment transitions, and wellbeing. Citizens’ visions for disability inclusion will be showcased through public exhibitions, and policy recommendations will be synthesized into a co-created ""Inclusive Futures White Paper"" to influence future EU policy directions. By facilitating mutual learning across borders, IF-Lab will deepen citizens’ understanding of EU institutions and values, promote a stronger sense of European identity, and contribute to building a more inclusive and democratic Europe. The project is expected to create sustainable networks for policy dialogue, strengthen ownership of EU rights among persons with disabilities and caregivers, and ensure the long-term impact of citizen-driven policy innovation at the European level."

Italy, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Greece

2026-02-15