Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IDiPD) is organising the 2nd Youth Meeting “Being Cool , to be included!”. After the success of the 1st Meeting, held in 2025, the Institute reinvigorates this initiative, promoting the participation of children and young people, stimulating the sharing of their experiences, doing justice to the aspirational "Nothing about us, without us". The event will take place on May 25, at the Basic School of the Cross of Pau (Seixal), starting at 9:30 am. This meeting is part of IDiPD's mission to promote the rights of people with disabilities, providing a space for dialogue with children and young people, who are studying, attending social responses or working.   Participation is free upon registration, available HERE . Book now on your calendar, we count on you! See the program below. 09:00 – Reception (accreditation) 09:30 – Welcome Musical Moment | AETL - Grouping of Land Schools of Larus Presentation: Martim Fonseca | AETL 09:45 – Opening José Patrício | Director of the Lands of Larus School Group Maria João Macau | Councillor for Education, Culture, Technology and Housing - CM do Seixal Clara Marques Mendes | State Secretary for Social Action and Inclusion 10:15 – Inclusion in school Moderation: Lia Marques | Higher School of Health of the Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal Lourenço Rosa Oriola | the EB 2,3 Aristides de Sousa Mendes School Group of Schools of Póvoa de Santa Iria Lucinda dos Ramos Moreno | Amora Secondary School and APCAS - Association of Cerebral Palsy of Almada and Seixal Martim Reis | Grouping of Land Schools of Larus Debate 11:05 – Inclusive break Cion coffee-break 11:20 – Grab Opportunities: Study and Work Moderation: Telma Teixeira Madaíl | Student in the School Grouping of Monte da Lua, Sintra Daniel Pinto | Foundation AFID Difference Miguel Correia | AlmaSã Rita Patricio | Grouping of Land Schools of Larus Debate 12:10 – Inclusive Projects and Initiatives Moderation: Pedro Almeida | Student at José Maria dos Santos Basic School in Palmela and belonging to the Bengal Magic Association Bruno Santos | APCAS - Association of Cerebral Paralysis of Almada and Seixal Gonçalo Pinto | UniversAutista Joana Silveira | Higher Education + Inclusive Debate 13:00 – Conclusions of the Meeting Francisco Machado | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Universidade Nova de Lisboa Alycia Fortes | Grouping of Land Schools of Larus Vanessa Sami | Larus Land School Grouping 13:20 – Closure Sónia Esperto | President of the Board of Directors of IDiPD 13:30 – Lunch 14:30 – Afternoon Cool – Connect! Diogo Grilo - DJ Set | AETL Amora High School Band (Program subject to last minute changes)

As part of the celebration of the European Day of Independent Living, which took place on 5 May 2026, the Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, IP (IDiPD, IP), in co-organisation with the Iberoamerican Disability Program (PID), is promoting on 27 May the online event “From Convention to Implementation: the experience of Personal Assistance Models in Europe and the Ibero-American Area”. The date, established by ENIL – European Network on Independent Living, aims to promote the values and practices of Independent Living as a fundamental right of persons with disabilities. The event will take place via Zoom, between 15:05 and 16:40, and its main objective is to promote reflection, debate and the sharing of international experiences on Personal Assistance Models, as an essential tool for the realization of the right to Independent Living, enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. During the session, the panel "Personal assistance under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" will take place, presenting experiences and models of personal assistance implemented in countries of the European and Ibero-American Area, allowing a comparative analysis of different approaches and challenges in their implementation. The initiative is a relevant opportunity for persons with disabilities, civil society organisations, practitioners and policy makers, contributing to the deepening of knowledge and the promotion of public policies aligned with the principles of the Convention. Programme (subject to change) 15:05 – 15:15 | Opening Session Jesús María Martín Blanco – President of the Iberoamerican Disability Programme (PID) 15.15 – 15.30 | Personal assistance under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Amalia Gamio – Specialist at the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 15:30 – 15:45 | Guidelines of the European Disability Forum (EDF) on preventing institutionalisation and promoting independent living Haydn Hammersley - EDF Social Policy Coordinator 15:45– 16:45 | Presentation of experiences in the field of personal assistance in an international context: The Costa Rica model – Luis Duarte Picado, National Council for People with Disabilities (CONAPDIS) The Slovenian model – Jerneja Turin, Human Rights Office of the Republic of Slovenia The Spanish model – Laura Sánchez Beltrán, Directorate-General for Disability Rights The Portuguese model – Teresa Varanda, Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IDiPD, IP) 16:45 – 16:55 | Closing Session Sónia Esperto – Chairman of the Board of Directors of IDiPD, IP No prior registration is required, and access to the event is made directly through the following link: https://once.zoom.us/j/91025226784

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P., and Turismo de Portugal, I.P. decided to award the distinction "Accessible Festival" to the Festival "Serralves em Festa", promoted by the Serralves Foundation, under the Program Accessible Festivals 2026. The Festival "Serralves em Festa" will take place from May 29 to 31, 2026, at Rua Dom João de Castro, nº 210, Lordelo do Ouro e Massarelos, 4150-417 Porto. More information at Accessible Festivals Program - IDiPD, I.P.

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IDiPD, I.P.) and the Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth (IPDJ, I.P.) announce that the application period for the Sport + Accessible Award is open and runs from 15 May to 14 June. The winning project will receive a prize of 6000 €, awarded by the two Institutes, and 7 hours of online consulting specialized in volunteer management, worth 350 €, promoted by the partner Pista Mágica. Four honorable mentions will also be awarded, which will receive a prize of 1000€ and 5 hours of online consulting specialized in volunteer management, worth 250€, by Pista Mágica. The awarded projects will also be supported in the overall amount of €8,000, up to a maximum of €2,000 per project, by the Decathlon Foundation, in accordance with its regulatory conditions. For this edition of the Sport + Accessible Award, the following priority areas were considered: Accessibility and supporting products; Sport development; Training and research; Awareness raising and volunteering. Find out more about the Sport + Access Award HERE .

On 6 May 2026, the European Commission adopted the Communication “ Enhancing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities up to 2030 ”, as provided for in its Work Programme. Halfway through the implementation period of the 2021-2030 Strategy, it is recognised that relevant progress has been achieved at the level of policies and the European framework. However, significant barriers still persist in several Member States, which continue to limit the full participation of persons with disabilities in society and the economy on an equal basis with other citizens. Against this background, the European Union has decided to strengthen the Strategy by raising the level of ambition and focusing more clearly on its effective implementation, delivery of results on the ground and real impact on people's lives. This reinforcement reflects a renewed commitment to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, with a focus on removing barriers, equal opportunities and building a more inclusive and accessible society for all. The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P. will continue to closely monitor these guidelines to ensure that Portugal actively contributes to a fully inclusive Europe. Access the Communication HERE .

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IDiPD) publishes the list of winners of the Alert School! Competition 2025/2026. In this edition, 48 applications were submitted, distributed in the three categories of the competition: 15 in Category 1, 16 in Category 2 and 17 in Category 3. The applications involved 45 schools from 14 districts of the mainland and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, with the participation of 2,281 students and 267 teachers. Nine national prizes were awarded, three for each category of the competition. The increase in the number of applications, as well as the participation of pupils and teachers, highlights the involvement of the educational community in promoting a fairer and more inclusive society based on the values of democracy, respect for diversity and the defence of human rights. The full list of award-winning schools can be found HERE .

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, I.P. (IDiPD, I.P.), provides the updated edition of the Practical Guide - Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Portugal, an essential information, guidance and support tool that brings together, in a single document, practical content on rights, benefits and responses in the different areas of life, proving essential for persons with disabilities, families, technicians and all people who are interested in the subject. In the message accompanying the publication, the Secretary of State for Social Action and Inclusion, Clara Marques Mendes, underlines the importance of access to clear, understandable and accessible information as a fundamental condition for the full exercise of rights and for the effective inclusion of persons with disabilities. Produced in 2019 with the contribution of several public administration entities, within their respective areas of competence, the Guide aims to contribute to the affirmation of citizenship and the promotion of equal opportunities, combating stereotypes and situations of discrimination, through the systematization of information in a single consultation tool, consisting of five parts: General information on cross-cutting rights and tools for their development; rights and guidelines for action at various stages of life; Social protection, social responses and tax benefits; topics related to housing, mobility and social participation; Useful contacts and services. The Practical Guide - Disability Law in Portugal can be consulted HERE .

The IDiPD Project Finance Programme for 2026 covered a total of 159 NGOPDs who registered 266 projects on the application platform. After completion of the work of the Evaluation Panel and the approval act of the Governing Board of 26 February 2026, the final list of amounts allocated to projects was published on 27 February 2026. In this list, 243 projects were approved for financing with an overall investment of €2 050 000.00, which represents an increase of 36.66% compared to the previous year. Similar to the trend observed over the last few years, most of the approved projects are in the thematic area of artistic, sporting, playful and cultural participation (156), representing 60.08 % of the projects and 48.60% of the total funding. For the areas in which the projects are developed, the following table shows the number of projects and the amount allocated to each of the areas: Number of projects approved and amount involved per thematic area Thematic areas Number of projects Funded amount A – Innovative projects aiming at the inclusion of persons with disabilities 62 (25,51%) €805,925.62 (39.31%) B – Awareness-raising campaigns and actions 19 (7,82%) €113 042.68 (5.51%) C – Artistic, sporting, playful and cultural participation 146 (60,08%) €996,339.91 (48.60%) D – Digital and technological accessibility 16 (6,58%) €134,691.79 (15.5%) Total 243 2,050,000,00€

The Government approved the ‑lei decree Decree-Law No º 65/2026 of 5 March It creates the free ticket for persons with disabilities accompanying them in performances and cultural facilities managed by public authorities. The measure aims to promote cultural inclusion and accessibility, ensuring that no one is prevented from participating in cultural life by economic or practical barriers. Free of charge applies to museums, monuments, palaces, interpretative centres and performance venues of an artistic nature located in continental territory, provided that they are managed by the Public Administration, by entities of the corporate public sector or by public foundations. According to the diploma, each person with a disability is entitled to a free ticket for one accompanying person per session, provided that the disability is duly proven. The accompanying person’s ticket is non-transferable and is only valid when issued at the same time as the disabled person’s own ticket, for the same date and time. Proof of disability is made ‑se, in the case of residents in Portugal, through the Multipurpose Medical Disability Certificate, with a degree of disability equal to or greater than 60%. For foreign nationals, equivalent medical documentation is accepted. The law also obliges cultural promoters to adapt ticketing systems, ensuring the registration and control of these tickets, compliance with data protection rules and the availability of the free ticket in all sales channels, physical and digital, with accessibility and usability criteria equivalent to other tickets. The Inspectorate-General for Cultural Activities (IGAC), in liaison with the Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (formerly the National Institute for Rehabilitation), will be responsible for monitoring the measure and producing an annual report on its implementation, including the number of tickets issued and the impact on cultural accessibility. Entities covered have one year to adapt their IT systems, with a transitional regime allowing temporarily the manual issuance of free tickets.