Over 80% of long-term care is provided informally, often without training or financial recognition. This data shows that informal carers are the backbone of support for children and adults with disabilities and other long-term conditions across Europe. This burden falls disproportionately on women, who make up the vast majority of informal carers, frequently at the cost of their own employment, income and well-being.

As Europe’s population ages and family networks shrink, this reliance is becoming unsustainable, underlining the need to promote gender equality and better support all carers.

Through a small-scale European study, this report explores the challenges informal carers face and the approaches, technologies, and policies that families have found helpful, or believe would have been helpful, in supporting children and adults with disabilities to be fully included in their communities. Evidence was gathered through a literature review, focus groups with informal carers and service providers and stakeholder review of emerging promising practices.

Read the full report

Citation:

EASPD (2025). Human-rights-based Support, Empowering Families and Informal Carers of Persons with Disabilities.

Date: 

Brussels, October 2025.