Goal: Show how EU policy supports clear and accessible information.
The European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030 is the EU’s roadmap for making equality and inclusion a reality. It builds directly on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), reaffirming the right of persons with disabilities to participate fully in society—at work, at school, in healthcare, in politics, and in public life.
A key message of the strategy is that accessibility includes communication. People with disabilities must have equal access not only to buildings and digital tools, but also to clear and understandable information.
The strategy promotes plain language as part of a wider approach to accessibility. For example, one of its priority actions is to ensure that public websites, forms, and services meet accessibility standards—not only in their technical structure, but also in how they present information. This includes avoiding complex legal or bureaucratic language that may confuse or exclude users.
It also calls for the creation of AccessibleEU, a European resource centre that will collect and share expertise on accessibility, including good practices related to communication.
Member States are encouraged to reflect these priorities in their national action plans. This may involve training staff in plain language, testing documents with diverse user groups, or redesigning services to be more inclusive.
By recognising that complex language can create barriers, the strategy helps position plain language as an essential part of equal access—and a tool for real participation and autonomy.