JUNE 2026.- The publication examines how disability inclusion is addressed within national Youth Guarantee frameworks and evaluates the extent to which existing policies support young persons with disabilities in their transition from education to employment.

Despite the growing recognition of disability within European youth employment policies, the analysis reveals that significant implementation gaps remain. Young persons with disabilities continue to face barriers related to accessibility, limited personalised support, weak school-to-work transitions, fragmented coordination between services and persistent labour market discrimination.

Comparative analysis across four EU countries

The policy brief analyses the policy frameworks and implementation mechanisms in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Poland.

The comparison shows that all four countries formally recognise disability as a vulnerability factor within youth employment and social inclusion policies. However, the availability and quality of disability-specific pathways, personalised support and coordinated services vary considerably.

The publication also highlights the importance of European funding instruments, including the European Social Fund Plus, in supporting national reforms and activation measures.

WEB ACCESSIBLE VERSION: https://nevi-evy.eu/publications/Disability-Inclusion-in-EU-Youth-Policies/