20 Years On, France's 2005 Disability Law Faces Mixed Progress

Despite significant advancements in accessibility and inclusion, critical gaps remain in education, employment, and cultural representation for people with disabilities.

Only 50% of public establishments in France are accessible, and major disparities remain in transportation and digital accessibility, despite the 2005 law's mandates.
The number of students with disabilities in mainstream schools has grown significantly, but inclusion quality is uneven, with many students lacking adequate support and resources.
Employment of disabled individuals remains below the mandated 6% quota, with a 2023 rate of 3.6%, and unemployment rates for people with disabilities remain twice as high as the general population.
Cultural sectors, such as film and television, lag behind with only 1.5% of their workforce being individuals with disabilities, prompting calls for structural reforms like adapting the intermittent workers' regime.
Key challenges include inadequate training for educators, inconsistent funding, and a lack of systemic transformation to fully integrate accessibility and inclusion across sectors.