Freddy Jussien, Advocacy Lead of Inclusion Europe, writes in Annual Report 2025.:
Every morning I ask myself the same question: How can I do better today?
Over the past year, I have learnt that to answer this seemingly simple question, many more questions must be considered first. To improve my work for people with intellectual disabilities and their families, I asked myself in January 2025:
- How can the next EU long-term budget work for inclusion?
- How will the UN CRPD Committee’s review influence disability rights in the EU?
- How can jobs become inclusive?
- How can we make the right to decide a reality?
- What must the next Disability Rights Strategy include?
Here is what I found:
How can the next EU long-term budget work for inclusion?
Our members told us that EU money helps every day. It helps run self-advocacy work, partner with others on deinstitutionalisation, or support inclusive jobs. But EU money also brings disappointment — for example when segregated institutions get financed.
We turned our members’ voices into a position paper: “EU money for inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.” We shared this paper with Members of the European Parliament and with the European Commission. We asked our members to take it to their governments and call for action.
In July, EU budget proposal was published. There are many concerns. The budget advocacy is far from over.
What will the UN CRPD Committee say about disability rights in the European Union?
In 2025 the CRPD Committee reviewed the EU.. I travelled to Geneva to present the situation of people with intellectual disabilities. Together with other organisations we looked at what the EU achieved for disability rights – and at the gaps that remain.https://www.youtube.com/embed/1R7wkV8lzbM?si=y27Nkur-OTKnCZCO
During the exchange between Committee members and the European Commission, the sentence “1.7 billion euros were used for community-based services” struck me. That is a lot of money!
- If 1.7 billion went to community-based services, why are more than 1 million people with intellectual disabilities still in institutions?
- How is money still flowing to institutions?
What does “community-based services” actually mean in that statistic?
How can jobs become inclusive?
“Job First!” report about employment was a big focus in my work. A job as a first step to inclusion.
In June we took this message to the European Parliament, presenting our Job First report, and also launching the Ulla Topi Traineeship.
In that meeting we explored the questions and answers the Job First report had brought up and that I continue to take on in my everyday work:
- How do we promote life skills — at school and on the job market?
- How do we help others see that a job is not just about tasks and a pay cheque, but about freedom, choice, and community?
- What concrete actions — at national and EU level — are needed to make access to skills and jobs equal for everyone?
How can we make the right to decide a reality?
The answer has been known for years: Supported decision-making.
In 2025 we worked with our members to gather examples of good work, and of the challenges they face. Using their expertise, we published a report with examples of legal reforms and supported decision-making mechanisms from different countries. We explained why making your own decisions matters and what countries can do to make it possible.
We also spoke about this wherever we could: at EDF’s conference in Vilnius; in a meeting with the Council of the EU on the cross-border protection of adult regulation; and in multiple meetings with MEP’s.
What must the next Disability Rights Strategy include?
The EU Disability Strategy 2021–2030 provides guidance on what needs to improve. For the next years, we think the Strategy should provide good answers to questions such as:
- How to finally close institutions and support people to move back into the community?
- How to guarantee jobs for people with intellectual disabilities — starting within EU administrations and bodies?
- How to make sure that every citizen can vote in the next EU elections?
In Conclusion…
If 2025 has taught me anything it’s that as long as you look for answers you stay active.
And inclusion takes a lot of action.
So ask yourself: “How can I do better today? What can I do to make a change?”
I promise you, no matter how big or small your contribution, it matters.
It’s what keeps me going at least… And I highly recommend it.
Read the Annual Report 2025.