EASPD is Now Disability Support Europe. 30 Years of Building the World for Everyone
Disability Support Europe Brand book cover
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The European Association for the Support of People with Disabilities moves forward with a new name, working towards greater accessibility and social inclusion.
More than a name change. An evolution of our mission.
On 5th October 2026, EASPD becomes Disability Support Europe.
EASPD was founded 30 years ago with two goals: for the disability support sector to speak with one voice at European level, and to help each other develop and transform. We've come a long way on both. Today we represent more than 40,000 support services across Europe, and European collaboration has become the norm. Now we're ready to go further.
30 years celebration meeting at the European Economic and Social Committee. Photo ENAT.
As we celebrate our anniversary, we’re setting the ambition for the next 30 years.
Disability Support Europe is our commitment to a world where people with disabilities have the same choices and opportunities as everybody else. A world where everyday is built for everyone. But we can’t achieve this by keeping things as they are – we have to take on a more ambitious mission to transform how our societies are built. Communities that include. Families that thrive. Employers that create real jobs. Schools where every child can learn and grow. This means more than improving disability support services. It means building the systems, policies and standards, so that participation is real, permanent and available to everyone.
This is what we call – building the architecture of inclusion across Europe. This is our mission. We take it on together with our community of members, with people with disabilities, who decide what everyday life looks like for them, and together with funders, policymakers and employers. Anyone who wants to work with us to create a world where everyday is built for everyone.
A clearer way of working
We also want to share, more clearly, how we do this every day. It’s who we have always been. We’re simply naming it plainly for the first time.
- We work for rights in practice
- We help providers to transform
- We believe in partnership
- We learn and share what works
- We invest in relationships and trust
A clearer way of communicating
We’re also changing how we communicate.
We’ll use everyday language for everyday problems. We’ll talk about people deciding where they want to live, work and learn, and about the systems and support needed to make that real.
What does not change
These changes are about communicating more clearly what we stand for. They’re not about changing fundamentally who we are. Behind the scenes, we are the same people, the same community of members, the same team in Brussels.
Practical details
From today:
- You’ll find us online at disabilitysupport.eu.
- You can email us at <firstname.surname@disabilitysupport.eu>. Messages to our old addresses will still reach us.
- You can see our Brand book for more information about Disability Support Europe.
We look forward to continuing our collaboration with you as Disability Support Europe.
Kirsi Konola, President
Thomas Bignal, Secretary General
Disability Support Europe
Disability Support Europe is the leading voice of disability services across Europe, representing over 20,000 services in 50 different countries.
We promote human rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities through effective and high-quality support.