The 7th National Conference on Disability (CNH), presented on September 4, 2026, redefines the framework for inclusion policies in France for the next three years. With 16 commitments and 65 measures, the text covers education, employment, health, housing, digital technology, and administrative procedures. A national and territorial accessibility strategy is to be deployed during the period 2026-2029.
National Information System of MDPHs: what the planned harmonization for 2028 changes
The departmental houses for people with disabilities currently operate with heterogeneous IT tools from one department to another. A move can lead to a break in rights, as the file must be reconstructed from scratch with the new MDPH.
The CNH 2026 plans to establish a unified national information system for MDPHs starting in 2028. The stated goal: to allow the portability of rights between departments and reduce processing times when changing residence.
In parallel, a simplified form is being tested in five departments. An online filling assistance tool, incorporating a pilot phase using artificial intelligence, accompanies this dematerialization. Feedback from the field varies on this point: digital simplification assumes that users have stable internet access and a minimum proficiency with digital tools, which is not guaranteed for part of the affected public.
Several associations and specialized media closely monitor these developments. To stay informed about concrete advances in inclusion, it is possible to consult the Les Coudes sur la Table website, which regularly addresses these topics in line with current events.
Access to care and disability: referents, long consultations, and specialized devices
Access to care remains one of the most documented blind spots in the management of disability in France. The CNH 2026 makes it a specific project with several structural measures.
Disability referents in each territorial professional health community are planned. Their role: to coordinate the reception of patients with disabilities and direct them to appropriate services.
A long consultation is to be gradually established. It aims to compensate for the additional time needed to examine, explain, and support a patient whose disability complicates the standard care pathway. The “handi-consult” and “handi-blocs” devices for specialized care will also be developed.
The available data do not yet allow for measuring the real effect of these announcements on the ground. The establishment of referents will depend on the resources allocated to health communities, and the long consultation raises the question of its financial valuation for practitioners.
European sustainability reporting: disability remains in the standards despite simplification
The European sustainable reporting standards (CSRD/ESRS) have undergone regulatory simplification in recent months. The issue of disability could have disappeared in this process of easing. This is not the case.
The final European standards maintain disability in the four areas of social reporting: employees, value chain, affected individuals, and consumers. For companies subject to these obligations, this means that disability inclusion policies must appear in their sustainability reports.
The European Disability Forum has warned of the risk of seeing European funding dedicated to disability decrease in the next budgetary framework. On the other hand, maintaining disability in the reporting standards serves as a lever for associations and inclusion actors who wish to challenge companies on their concrete commitments.
What this implies for French companies
Large French companies already subject to the obligation to employ disabled workers (OETH) will need to align their CSR reporting with these new European requirements. Training HR and CSR teams on these standards becomes an operational challenge.
- Integrate disability indicators into the sustainability report, including for the value chain and subcontractors
- Train disability referents in companies on the requirements of the ESRS framework
- Document concrete inclusion actions (workplace adjustments, adapted recruitment, partnerships with the protected sector)
Inclusive school and support: the CNCPH’s opinions on ongoing reforms
The National Consultative Council for People with Disabilities (CNCPH), convened in plenary session on September 24, 2026, issued two unfavorable opinions on proposals to reform the support for disabled children. One of these opinions directly concerns inclusive education.
This position of the CNCPH signals a disagreement between government orientations and representatives of the affected individuals. Families and associations are awaiting clarifications on the concrete consequences of these opinions for the school year and the functioning of medical-social establishments and services (ESMS).
Supporting parents in the workplace: an emerging topic
During the Inclusiv’Day fair, the High Commissioner for Children Sarah El Haïry called on companies to better support employees who are parents of a child with a disability. The issue goes beyond the strict framework of labor law: it touches on time organization, absences related to medical appointments, mental load, and the professional isolation of these caregivers.
- Adjusting schedules for medical appointments and administrative procedures with the MDPH
- Establishing psychological support systems or peer groups in the workplace
- Systematic information for managers on the rights of caregiver employees (caregiver leave, donation of rest days)
The measures of the CNH 2026, the requirements of European reporting, and the opinions of the CNCPH outline a landscape where disability inclusion becomes a cross-cutting issue, from health to business through education. The concrete translation of these commitments will largely depend on budgetary decisions and the ability of local actors to seize them.
