15th December 2025
Author: Jovita Jarutienė
More than 231,000 people with disabilities in Lithuania face discrimination and inaccessible services almost daily. Their experiences often involve situations that undermine dignity.
For example, in some shopping centers, bathrooms designated for people with disabilities are locked and only opened for those who can “prove” their disability. Individuals accompanied by assistance dogs are sometimes denied entry. At concerts, people with mobility impairments cannot get close to the stage, and some are refused entry to nightclubs simply for using a walker.
These are not isolated incidents – many people with disabilities experience such obstacles as part of everyday life. This is confirmed by the Commission for the Monitoring of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, operating under the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, which recently presented its latest report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Lithuania. The Convention is one of the most important international documents ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities, and a special Committee was established in 2019 to independently monitor its implementation.
Committee Calls for Collaboration
The latest monitoring report shows that while societal attitudes toward disability are gradually improving, significant gaps remain across nearly all areas of life.
“Often, the real barrier is not the disability itself, but society’s failure to create an environment where every person can live with dignity. Our goal is not merely to point out problems, but to ensure they are addressed,” says Klementina Gruzdienė, Chair of the Commission.
According to K. Gruzdienė, many people with disabilities still cannot live as independently or with as high a quality of life as they should; they are limited by inaccessible facilities, poorly adapted services, and negative societal attitudes.
The Commission emphasizes that sustainable solutions require collaboration among institutions, municipalities, NGOs, and civil society.
Education: Promises of Inclusive Learning Stalled in Practice
Significant challenges remain in education. Ensuring high-quality inclusive education is hindered by a shortage of qualified specialists able to work with children with diverse disabilities. Concern grows as the number of such specialists decreases annually, and the training system is insufficiently sustainable.
The report notes that schools still focus on the “average” student, and children with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities often do not receive appropriate tools or an adapted learning environment. Even exams are frequently conducted without consideration of individual needs.
Challenges are also evident in adult education: on the national platform KURSUOK, of 1,448 programs, only 39 are adapted for people with mobility or visual impairments, and none are adapted for people with hearing, intellectual, or psychosocial disabilities (data as of July 29, 2025, kursuok.lt).
Independent Living: Progress Has Stalled
The report shows that many people with disabilities do not have real choice over where or how they live – necessary services are lacking.
Service availability depends heavily on the municipality: in some areas, services are adequately provided, while in others, they are nearly inaccessible. Even when assistance is offered, it is often fragmented – limited hours or services that do not meet actual needs.
As a result, families bear a heavy caregiving and financial burden, and thousands of people remain dependent not by choice, but due to the capacities of relatives.
Living Standards and Unemployment: Risk of Poverty Remains High
Unemployment among people with disabilities in Lithuania remains high, and discrimination in the labor market is still a real issue.
Employers often refuse to hire once they learn about a disability, causing some individuals to conceal their condition to keep a job. Due to entrenched stereotypes, people with disabilities are often employed in low-skilled positions, limiting their independence and reducing their standard of living.
The risk of poverty among people with disabilities in Lithuania exceeds both the national and EU averages. Disability pensions are below the poverty threshold and do not ensure a dignified standard of living.
Rights Protection Without Practical Implementation Remains Declarative
Although a human-rights-based approach is strengthening in Lithuania, practical barriers for people with disabilities remain too numerous.
“The Convention is not a collection of promises – it is a commitment. And commitments must be implemented in practice – through services, solutions, and giving the person a voice,” emphasizes K. Gruzdienė.
The monitoring report calls not only for identifying problems but for taking action: ensuring accessible education, expanding opportunities for independent living, improving social protection systems, and reducing poverty.
“This is not just a matter of people with disabilities. It is a human rights issue, reflecting the kind of society we live in and the society we want to build,” says Gruzdienė.