EU Disability Card – inclusion, equality, and accessibility in everyday life
The EU has adopted directives introducing a European-wide Disability Card and a Parking Card for all member states. The goal is to make it easier for persons with disabilities to travel and participate across borders while ensuring equal treatment throughout the EU.
Member states have two and a half years to prepare, and the directives will come into force in three and a half years.
More information: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Travel for persons with disabilities in the EU becomes easier
Making the invisible visible
In Finland, the EU Disability Card has been in use since 2018. The card is coordinated by the Disability Card Office of the Tukena Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Kela, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and disability organizations.
The card is personal to the user and goes everywhere with them. It makes the need for assistance and support visible at a glance – even when all needs are not apparent. The card facilitates participation in leisure activities, travel, and public events.
”The EU Disability Card is a concrete tool that makes participation easier and brings equality to everyday life. It also makes the invisible visible – not all needs for assistance can be seen. The card gives users an easy way to communicate their needs and provides service providers with a means to respond appropriately,” says Krista Ojala, Planner, Tukena Foundation.
According to a master’s thesis study, ”It can be the decisive factor that allows participation,” describes one cardholder (Kilpeläinen & Rautiainen, 2025).
Benefits for different stakeholders
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For users: The card brings a sense of inclusion, facilitates everyday transactions, and reduces experiences of discrimination.
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For service providers: The card serves as a tool for social impact, strengthens the image of accessible and inclusive services, and improves customer experience.
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For society: The card promotes equality and helps reduce experiences of exclusion and discrimination.
More information
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Applying for and using the Disability Card: Vammaiskortti.fi
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Application form and instructions: Kela / EU Disability Card
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Research: Milla Kilpeläinen & Hanna Rautiainen (2025): ”It can be the decisive factor that allows participation” – Experiences of EU Disability Card Users. Theseus.fi
Media contact
Disability card office / Tukena Foundation
Email: info@vammaiskortti.fi
Photo caption: Lasse Purmonen with the EU Disability Card.
