EUROPEAN DISABILITY FORUM AISBL

Their core work

The European Disability Forum (EDF) is the principal pan-European umbrella organization representing the interests of 100 million people with disabilities across Europe. Their real-world work centers on disability rights advocacy, policy influence at the EU level, and amplifying the voices of people with disabilities in legislative and research processes. In H2020, they contributed as a civil society expert, providing lived-experience perspectives, legal and rights-based framing, and access to disability communities — first in the area of research policy and disability rights law, then shifting toward digital inclusion and web accessibility standards compliance. They bridge the gap between disability law (UN CRPD, European Accessibility Act) and practical implementation in research and technology projects.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

EDF entered H2020 through the DARE project (2019) with a focus on disability advocacy as a research subject — centering law, human rights, social change, and policy influence. By 2021, their focus shifted markedly toward the digital domain: the WAI-CooP project placed them squarely in web accessibility standards, EU digital legislation (Web Accessibility Directive, European Accessibility Act), and W3C community engagement. The trajectory is clear: from broad disability rights and policy advocacy toward a specialization in digital inclusion and accessibility compliance — reflecting the growing EU regulatory pressure in this area.

EDF is moving toward becoming a key civil society actor at the intersection of disability rights and digital regulation, making them a natural partner for projects touching the European Accessibility Act, public sector digital services, or inclusive technology design.

How they like to work

EDF participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never led an H2020 project — which reflects their identity as a civil society voice rather than a research or technical coordinator. With 24 unique partners across 10 countries from just 2 projects, they operate in broad, multi-stakeholder consortia where their value is representational and legal-normative rather than technical. This suggests they are best approached as a legitimacy-and-community partner: they open doors to disability communities and EU policy networks, and they strengthen a proposal's societal impact credentials.

EDF has built connections with 24 distinct consortium partners across 10 countries through just 2 projects — a notably wide network for such a small portfolio, reflecting their role in large, multi-country consortia. Their Brussels base and pan-European mandate give them natural reach across all EU member states and beyond.

What sets them apart

EDF is the only organization of its kind in Europe — an umbrella body directly representing national disability organizations from across the continent, giving any consortium they join unmatched credibility with the disability community and EU policy makers. Unlike academic disability studies units or accessibility consultancies, EDF brings institutional weight: they formally engage with the European Commission, Parliament, and Council, and their endorsement signals genuine co-design rather than token inclusion. For projects addressing digital inclusion, assistive technology, healthcare, employment, or any domain touching disability rights, EDF transforms a consortium from "working on disability" to "working with the disability community."

Highlights from their portfolio

• WAI-CooP
  Largest grant received (EUR 321,000) and the most technically specific engagement — placing EDF at the center of EU web accessibility standards implementation under the W3C/WAI framework, directly tied to binding EU legislation.
• DARE
  An MSCA Innovative Training Network, meaning EDF contributed to training the next generation of disability researchers — an unusual role for an advocacy NGO and evidence of their academic credibility beyond pure policy work.