Disability Week 2026: engaging the entire company for lasting inclusion

Introduction: why Disability Week is strategic for employers in 2026

The 30th edition of the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH) will take place from 16 to 22 November 2026, around the theme “Disability and employment: equality for everyone!”. This annual event confronts companies with a reality: the unemployment rate for people with disabilities reaches 12%, which is double the national average.

For HR, internal communications and CSR departments, this occasion represents a strategic moment for raising awareness, inclusive recruitment and strengthening the employer brand. Eli, a SaaS engagement platform, makes it possible to design, distribute and measure internal campaigns on this topic via articles, videos, quizzes and surveys.

1. Understanding the 2026 European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH)

SEEPH 2026 will take place from Monday 16 to Sunday 22 November, under the high patronage of the President of the Republic and the European Parliament. The main co-organisers are:

LADAPT: specialist in supported employment and awareness-raising programmes
Agefiph: funding for workplace adjustments in the private sector
FIPHFP: equivalent support for the public sector

The programme brings together a variety of events: job dating sessions, forums, webinars, workshops and the well-known DuoDay. The central objective remains to change perceptions of disability at work and to make access to the labour market smoother.

2. Key issues for 2026: equal opportunities, mental health and persistent discrimination

The figures reveal structural challenges: 54% of jobseekers with disabilities experience long-term unemployment, compared with 43% for all jobseekers. Under-representation persists, with only 4% of people in employment compared with 7% of the working-age population.

In 2026, mental health will become a Major National Cause. One in four French people will be affected by a mental disorder during their lifetime, requiring specific adjustments: flexible working hours, quiet spaces, prevention of psychosocial risks.

Testing studies (notably APF France handicap / Université Lyon 1) show a significant drop in positive responses to applications as soon as disability is mentioned. These forms of discrimination particularly affect customer-facing roles. For employers, the CSR stakes are clear: reputational risk in the event of discriminatory practices, and opportunities to showcase an ambitious diversity policy.

3. Build an internal engagement program for Disability Week

Implementing an effective program follows a chronological sequence:

Phase:

Teasing (October): distribution of educational content on the different types of disability
SEEPH Week (16–22 November): organization of DuoDay, webinars, job-dating events
Follow-up (December): impact measurement and sharing of results

Co-construction with the people concerned (employees with disabilities, disability officer, Social and Economic Committee, diversity networks) ensures the relevance of actions and equal participation.

3.1 Examples of content formats to share with Eli

Here are the preferred formats to reach all employee profiles:

Educational articles: the law of 11 February 2005, employment obligations, reasonable accommodations → objective: inform
Testimonial videos (1–2 minutes): employees’ journeys → objective: humanize
Gamified quizzes: debunk prejudices about productivity → objective: raise awareness
Anonymous surveys: measure perceptions of disability → objective: assess
Practical guides for managers: avoid bias in interviews → objective: equip
Engaging team challenges: everyday accessibility audits → objective: mobilize

Leverage Eli’s library of over 200 pieces of content as a foundation, then complete it via the AI editor to fit the local context.

3.2 Involve managers, disability officers, and external partners

Frontline managers control 70 to 80% of day-to-day accommodations. Their involvement is decisive.

Manager toolkit to distribute via Eli:

PDF guide of best practices
5-minute video on welcoming an employee with a disability
Email template to invite teams to events

The disability officer hosts a live FAQ and centralises contacts (Cap emploi, MDPH, Agefiph). Associations such as LADAPT or APF France enrich the webinars with their on-the-ground expertise. Eli makes it possible to track which teams are truly getting involved.

4. Focus on key flagship initiatives for Disability Week

Several emblematic initiatives underpin corporate strategies. Their complementarity with a long-term professional inclusion policy prevents isolated actions.

4.1 DuoDay 2026: a day in pairs to change perceptions

The 9th edition of DuoDay will take place on Thursday, November 19, 2026. The principle: create pairs between a volunteer professional and a person with a disability (jobseeker, student, ESAT beneficiary).

Companies can expect an enriching encounter, the identification of future talent, and concrete awareness-raising for their teams. With Eli: tutor registration form, post-event video storytelling, satisfaction survey.

4.2 Intermediation platforms and tools: Handimatch, Cap emploi, France Travail

Handimatch, operated by France Travail and the Cap emploi network, facilitates connections between candidates and disability-committed recruiters. Inclusive job offers display a badge identifying openness to RQTH profiles.

Formalize your inclusive stance in your job ads: “RQTH welcome” mention, possible adjustments, accessibility of premises. Regularly share these solutions on Eli.

4.3 National guides and resources: apprenticeships, NDD and mental health

Recent guides enrich HR policies: “Apprenticeships and disability” (September 2023), NDD employment guide, 2026 mental health campaigns. These resources are integrated into e-learning pathways: short modules, summary sheets, validation quizzes.

Create a permanent “Disability resources” section in Eli, accessible beyond the dedicated week.

5. Measuring the impact of Disability Week: from awareness to lasting action

Without indicators, the week remains symbolic. Track these KPIs:

Event participation rate (target: 70%+ of employees reached)
Content open/click rate (benchmark: 40–60%)
Number of managers involved
Number of accommodation requests submitted
Candidates with disabilities met
Change in perception (before/after survey)

Eli dashboards provide analytics by site, job family and language to measure the impact of your internal communication. Share an “impact report” in ExCom meetings, backed by data and testimonials.

5.1 From Disability Week to a long-term inclusion policy

Disability Week should be an accelerator, not a one-off. Medium-term areas of focus:

Recruitment plan with Cap emploi
Youth programmes (16–25 years) inspired by regional initiatives and Quality of Work Life weeks focused on workplace well-being
Internal network of employee ambassadors
Quarterly campaigns (neurodiversity, caregivers, RQTH rights) including CSR team-building activities with measurable impact

Formalise quantified objectives in your CSR strategy: target employment rate, percentage of managers trained, number of accommodations processed.

6. How Eli supports companies during Disability Week

Eli, the employee engagement platform is a B2B SaaS lever for HR and CSR teams. Key features:

Library of 200+ diversity and well-being contents
AI editor to adapt content to the company context
Themed campaigns “Disability Week 2026”
Segmentation by sites, countries, job families
Multichannel distribution: email, app, push notifications
Real-time analytics: participation, engagement, comparisons

Typical journey: an HR Director selects pre-written content, adds their own events (DuoDay, partner webinar), schedules everything over the week, then tracks participation live. The multilingual/multisite capability meets the needs of European groups.

Ready to structure your disability policy? Request a demo or try Eli for free to start preparing now for Disability Week 2026 and turn your commitments into measurable actions.