Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Welcome Lithuania’s Reviews of Disability Related Laws, Raise Issues Concerning the Accessibility of Public[...]

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its consideration of the combined second and third periodic reports of Lithuania on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Committee Experts welcomed the State party's reviews of laws related to disability and asked about measures to improve the accessibility of public buildings and prevent gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities.

Laverne Jacobs, Committee Expert and Leader of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said in opening remarks that since Lithuania's ratification of the Convention, it had taken positive steps to implement it, including reviews of laws to harmonise them with the Convention. The Committee acknowledged the progress that the State had made but also noted that additional steps may be needed.

Ms. Jacobs said that by the end of 2025, only four per cent of key public buildings were accessible, against a national target of 40 per cent. How would the State ensure that accessibility measures were adequately funded and that regulations were implemented?

Alfred Kouadio Kouassi, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, cited a recent survey of Lithuanian women with disabilities, in which 50 per cent of respondents said that they had been exposed to sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. What public programmes were in place to protect women and girls with disabilities from gender-based violence?

In an opening statement, Klementina Gruzdienė, Chair of Lithuania's Monitoring Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, welcomed recent progress in Lithuania but said that the Commission's monitoring showed a clear gap between the law and the everyday lives of persons with disabilities. She said many public buildings, transport services and websites were still inaccessible, and monitoring and enforcement of accessibility regulations were too weak.

Introducing the report, Rita Grigalienė, Vice Minister of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania and head of the delegation, said Lithuania was committed to creating an inclusive, accessible society for all. It was continuing this work together with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, making decisions not for people, but with them.

On building accessibility, the delegation said new regulations on accessibility were applied when renovating existing buildings and contracting new ones. These called for the installation of accessibility features such as tactile indicators and lifts. Lithuania had established a national building accessibility monitoring system, under which nearly 5,000 public facilities were assessed in 2025.

On measures to prevent violence, the delegation said Lithuania had established a national sexual violence information centre, and last year, 60 persons with disabilities sought assistance from the centre. The 2023 law on protection against domestic violence also established an institute for protection against domestic violence and improved the accessibility of services for victims.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Grigalienė said that the achievements that the State party had shared in the dialogue demonstrated Lithuania's steady progress in the field of disability rights. The State was committed to further strengthening its efforts to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.

Mr. Kouassi, in his concluding remarks, said that in the dialogue, the Committee had heard about positive amendments to national legislation related to inclusive education, reasonable accommodation, conduct during emergencies and assessment of disability. Despite these efforts, however, there were various challenges that remained, including related to decision-making, institutional care and access to certain services, as well as persistent barriers to employment, healthcare and transport. The Committee trusted that the State party would effectively implement its concluding observations, in cooperation with persons with disabilities.

Miyeon Kim, Committee Chair, in closing remarks, thanked the delegation and the independent monitoring mechanism for participating in the dialogue. The information provided during the dialogue would assist the Committee in preparing its concluding observations.

The delegation of Lithuania consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Social Security and Labour; the Seimas (Parliament); Commission for the Rights of People with Disabilities; Ministry of Environment; Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Education, Science and Sport; and the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Lithuania at the end of its thirty-fifth session, which concludes on 27 August. The programme of work and other documents related to the session can be found here. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public this afternoon, Tuesday, 18 August at 3 p.m. to begin its examination of the combined second to fourth periodic reports of Chile (CRPD/C/CHL/2-4).

Report

The Committee has before it the combined second and third periodic reports of Lithuania (CRPD/C/LTU/2-3).

Presentation of Report

RITA GRIGALIENĖ, Vice Minister of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania and head of the delegation, said Lithuania was committed to creating an inclusive, accessible society for all. The State's law on the fundamentals of the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities introduced a new approach to disability and the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities based on individual needs, participation and equal opportunities. Amendments to the law on equal treatment had introduced a clearer framework for the provision of reasonable accommodation, thereby strengthening the right of persons with disabilities to equality and non-discrimination.

The Agency for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had been established as the central institution responsible for promoting the full participation of persons with disabilities in society, assessing individual support needs and coordinating the provision of assistance. A new disability assessment model, in place since the beginning of 2024, had enabled a comprehensive assessment of an individual's needs and environmental factors. The introduction of a support coordination system operating under a "one-stop-shop" approach had significantly improved access to services and enhanced the efficiency of support delivery.

In 2025, more than 1,000 families raising children with disabilities received social care services, while funding for these services increased from 34 million euros in 2022 to more than 44 million euros in 2025. In addition, in 2025, more than 950 children with disabilities received services through child day care centres, and nearly 1,800 children were provided with assistive technology and technical aids. From 2026, early intervention had been established as a permanent service. A 56-million-euro project was being launched to improve access to services for children with moderate and severe disabilities and their families across 54 municipalities.

The number of children with disabilities living in institutional care had decreased from 46 to just four, and family- and community-based care arrangements had continued to expand. In 2026, eight family homes were operating, providing care for 49 children with disabilities. Further, in 2024, Lithuania introduced a permanent foster carer scheme. The State was particularly proud that in December 2024, the last remaining large-scale traditional residential childcare institutions were closed. Children with disabilities could no longer be placed in large residential institutions, except for specialised nursing and social care units for children with severe disabilities. Since 2024, two such specialised care units had been established, providing 23 places for children with severe disabilities.

Lithuania was consistently advancing the transition from institutional care to community-based services. Between 2020 and 2024, 95 community service infrastructure facilities were established across six regions of the country. More than 36 million euros were invested in their development, enabling 550 persons to move to community-based living arrangements. Since 2020, the number of adapted dwellings had more than doubled, increasing from approximately 400 to nearly 1,000. Over the same period, State funding for housing adaptation had risen from around 1.7 million euros to almost 5.6 million euros.

Lithuania was consistently investing in raising public awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and combatting stereotypes. In 2024 and 2025, more than 600 educational activities and events were organised, reaching over 20,000 participants.

State and municipal institutions were required to provide information in communication formats accessible to persons with disabilities and according to their preferred means of communication. They were also required to make key information available on their websites in Easy Read language and in Lithuanian Sign Language. Lithuania had also established a national building accessibility monitoring system, which supported evidence-based planning of accessibility improvements. In 2025, nearly 5,000 public facilities were assessed.

All newly registered public transport vehicles also needed to be accessible to persons with disabilities. Over the past four years, the proportion of accessible transport had increased significantly. More than 73 per cent of educational institutions were at least partially accessible to persons with physical disabilities, and more than 200 primary healthcare infrastructure adaptation projects had been implemented in accordance with universal design principles.

Lithuania had strengthened the inclusion of persons with disabilities in crisis management and civil protection planning by ensuring accessible information and tailored support measures. More than three million euros had been allocated to municipalities to improve the accessibility of over 500 shelters, and in 2025, 300 specialists participated in civil protection training programmes.

Legislative amendments had been prepared to strengthen guarantees relating to the legal capacity of persons with disabilities. Supported decision-making services were piloted between 2019 and 2023 in six regions of the country. During that period, more than 500 individuals received support, and currently the service was being provided to over 900 persons. In addition, 42 court proceedings had been initiated, resulting in the full or partial restoration of legal capacity in 17 cases. For persons who, due to disability, faced difficulties in exercising their right to defence independently, the participation of legal counsel was guaranteed, together with access to State-funded secondary legal aid. In both 2024 and 2025, such assistance was provided in approximately 3,300 cases annually.

Funding for specialised support centres for survivors of domestic violence had doubled since 2023 and reached approximately 3.3 million euros in 2026. Lithuania had also established a national sexual violence information centre "Prabilk", which received 100,000 euros in annual funding. Last year, 176 individuals sought assistance from the centre, including 60 persons with disabilities, and direct support services were provided to five persons with disabilities.

Ms. Grigalienė also presented the State's measures promoting persons with disabilities' access to assistive devices and technologies; social services, family support services and social benefits; financial security; inclusive education; healthcare services; and employment. She said that while significant progress had been achieved in strengthening the rights of persons with disabilities in recent years, this work was not yet complete. The State party was committed to continuing its work together with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, making decisions not for people, but with them.

Statement by the Independent Monitoring Mechanism

KLEMENTINA GRUZDIENĖ, Chair of Lithuania's Monitoring Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, welcomed recent progress in Lithuania. Disability rights were more visible, and positive steps had been taken in personal assistance, deinstitutionalisation and emergency planning.

However, the Commission's monitoring showed a clear gap between the law and the everyday lives of persons with disabilities. Access to rights and services often depended on where a person lived or how an institution understood the law, instead of the person's needs. Independent living remained out of reach for many persons with disabilities, and community services were insufficient. The law on reasonable accommodation had been strengthened, but it was still not understood or provided in many areas. Many public buildings, transport services, websites and information centres were still inaccessible, and monitoring and enforcement of accessibility regulations were too weak and divided between different institutions. Many learners with disabilities in mainstream schools still did not receive the support and reasonable accommodation they needed.

Reforms to legal capacity laws were being discussed, but the proposed changes still allowed decisions to be made for a person. Emergency preparedness had improved, but it remained uneven, especially at the local level. Clear support plans, accessible communication, transport and shelters were still lacking. Lithuania also needed better disability-disaggregated data to plan disability policies and monitor progress. The Commission hoped that this review would improve the everyday lives of persons with disabilities and support the full implementation of the Convention in Lithuania.

Questions by a Committee Expert

LAVERNE JACOBS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said that, since Lithuania's ratification of the Convention, it had taken positive steps to implement it, including reviews of laws and policies to harmonise them with the Convention. The Committee acknowledged the progress that the State had made but also noted that additional steps may be needed.

In its previous concluding observations in 2016, the Committee called on the State party to ensure that its laws and policies complied with the Convention. The State had since adopted the law on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, but there was confusion as to whether the concepts in this law reflected the human rights model of disability or the medical model. The definition of "persons with disabilities" in the law referred to "persons who had been assigned a disability level of 55 per cent in accordance with the procedure established by law". Was this definition, and all laws and regulations, based on the human rights model? Did the State party have a consistent practice for consulting with civil society when developing laws?

The principle of reasonable accommodation was defined in State law, but its denial was not recognised as a form of discrimination. What steps had been taken to address this? Were there timelines for ensuring that reasonable accommodation measures were implemented in different sectors? There was a high number of complaints of a lack of reasonable accommodation in the fields of consumer services and transportation. What measures were in place to reduce such complaints and to provide remedies for complainants? What remedies were available and how was the public informed about them? Did the State support access to legal aid for complainants?

Mothers with disabilities reportedly continued to face intersectional discrimination and a lack of access to parental support services. How was the State addressing this issue? Were there institutional frameworks that analysed intersectional discrimination?

The Criminal Code was amended in 2017 to address hate speech and hate crimes based on disability. How was the State monitoring the implementation of this law?

By the end of 2025, only four per cent of key public buildings were accessible, against a national target of 40 per cent. How would the State ensure that accessibility measures were adequately funded and that regulations were implemented? What steps had been taken to ensure access to adequate information for persons with disabilities? Did the State party's method of collecting data draw on the Washington Group's set of short questions?

In the past, there had been a lack of resources for the Monitoring Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. What had been done to remedy this? Did the members of the institution enjoy security of tenure?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the law on the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities was drafted in 2024 based on consultations with organizations of persons with disabilities and the recommendations of the World Bank. The State needed to consider not only medical aspects but also the functional abilities of persons with disabilities. The law sought to ensure that persons with disabilities could live on equal terms with others. The Government considered disability rights when amending its legislation and consulted with non-governmental organizations and persons with disabilities when developing all legislation that affected persons with disabilities.

A Government regulation stipulated the conditions that needed to be implemented in schools to ensure reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities. Schools were required to comply with criteria regarding the accessibility of buildings. By 2030, the State party aimed to achieve at least 20 per cent of its accessibility indicators in educational establishments; the current level was three per cent. Some 46 million euros had been invested in adapting 63 general schools by 2027. There were also plans to adapt professional schools.

The Ministry of Health was monitoring how health institutions were accommodating persons with disabilities through an annual survey. The latest survey found that 95 per cent of health care institutions had adapted their entrances to make them accessible. Work remained to be done to attain the State's goal regarding the availability of tactile information. The State was calling on health institutions to further strengthen accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Failure to create proper conditions for persons with disabilities amounted to discrimination based on disability under State law. People could file complaints with the equal opportunities Ombudsperson or through courts if they faced this discrimination. In 2021, the Ombudsperson received 125 complaints related to disability; in 2024, it received 290 such complaints. People could also submit complaints of discrimination by State institutions to the administrative disputes commission. A lawyer was not required for these processes; complaints could be submitted in simple language. Persons with disabilities who submitted complaints to courts had the right to State-guaranteed legal aid and free-of-charge legal counsel.

Lithuania had allocated funding to families to support access to social care services. Financial support was also provided to families with children under three years of age with disabilities so they could attend nursery schools. Funding for these measures had risen from 60 million euros in 2021 to 145 million in 2025. All children over six years of age could attend inclusive daycare centres, and there were also specialised daycare centres for children with disabilities. This was partially funded by the State and municipalities. Obstetricians and a support team provided support to the parents of children with disabilities up to two years of age.

In 2020, Lithuania took several measures to strengthen its response to hate crimes and hate speech, including compiling an inter-agency working group to monitor these crimes and draft reports with recommendations for authorities fighting them. Over 70 hate crime cases had been registered by the State in relation to hate speech; one of these was related to disability.

New regulations on accessibility were applied when renovating existing buildings and contracting new ones. These called for the installation of accessibility features such as tactile indicators and lifts. Currently, while 4.8 per cent of buildings were rated to be fully accessible, 42.1 per cent of buildings were "partially accessible".

Lithuania had made significant progress in collecting data on persons with disabilities, led by the State data agency. A project had been implemented to collect data on persons with disabilities based on their age, disability and area of residence. The State agency had integrated the Washington Group set of short questions into its data collection practices. There were plans to further increase funding for the agency in the coming years. Since 2022, the budget of the Monitoring Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had been increased.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

LAVERNE JACOBS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said that there had been a shift to accreditation-based funding for organizations of persons with disabilities in 2023, which restricted access to funding for organizations that provided services. Did this restrict these organizations' ability to carry out activities? The Committee had formerly called on the State party to focus on the prevention of discrimination of women and girls with disabilities. What measures had been implemented in this regard?

Other Experts asked about the proportion of children with disabilities living in community-based or family-based care arrangements; data collection mechanisms focusing on children with disabilities; mechanisms to ensure the participation of children with disabilities in decision-making; standards regarding accessible information, including for accessible television broadcasts; whether the State party applied the Committee's guidelines on deinstitutionalisation; and how persons with psychosocial disabilities could receive accessible information in Lithuania.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the State provided financing for national umbrella organizations for persons with disabilities, including financing for institutional strengthening. Non-governmental organizations acting at municipal level received funding from municipalities. An accreditation system for social services had been introduced to standardise the Government's method of obtaining services from third-party providers and reduce related administrative burdens.

The European Union Equality Directive provisions had been transposed into national law to strengthen the prevention of discrimination of women and girls with disabilities, and the national action plan on equal opportunities included a goal to improve the situation of these women and girls and prevent discrimination against them; various awareness raising activities were being conducted in this regard.

The share of children with disabilities living in family-based homes had increased from 42 per cent in 2023 to almost 60 per cent in 2026, and the share of children in small-scale community institutions, which were the only remaining institutions in Lithuania, had declined from 58 per cent to 40 per cent over the same period. The State party collected data on children with disabilities, including on the care they received in various settings and on cases in which they were exposed to violence.

The law on television and radio obliged broadcasters to ensure that 50 per cent of their programmes was accessible for people with visual and hearing impairments. In 2026, the State introduced a regulation requiring that at least one of 15 board members of media companies was a person with a disability. Public authorities were required to provide information in accessible formats on request; the Government was raising awareness of this right.

The State party had distributed the Committee's guidelines on deinstitutionalisation to daycare centres and adapted its legislation to promote deinstitutionalisation and keep children in their own family homes. In 2022, 913 families were raising children with disabilities; in 2025, there were 1,017 such families. Training was provided to relevant authorities to promote deinstitutionalisation.

Questions by Committee Experts

ALFRED KOUADIO KOUASSI, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said that in emergency situations, accessible information was reportedly not provided systematically by the State and shelters were not always adapted. How was the State party addressing these issues? How would it ensure that persons with disabilities were properly consulted when preparing emergency responses?

The State's system for limiting legal capacity was not in line with the Convention and still authorised people to be declared fully incapable. Was the State party working to implement a supported decision-making system? Law enforcement officials reportedly did not systematically provide persons with visual or psychosocial disabilities with information in an accessible format. How did the State party ensure that persons with disabilities in detention had access to personalised care and accessible information? How had the State responded to a case in which a comedian publicly mocked persons with disabilities?

In a recent survey of Lithuanian women with disabilities, 50 per cent of respondents said that they had been exposed to sexual violence at least once in their lifetime and at least 25 per cent said that they had undergone systematic physical harm. What public programmes were in place to protect women and girls with disabilities from gender-based violence? What protocols on accessible reporting of violence had been adopted? What measures had the State party taken to ratify the Istanbul Protocol?

A Committee Expert said the Lithuanian Minister of Health had proposed following the process of the Oviedo Convention's Additional Protocol. The Committee had on several occasions stated that this process was in stark contrast to the Convention. Did the State party believe that this process should continue? It seemed that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had not been seriously considered in proposed revisions to Lithuania's mental healthcare act. Could the delegation comment on this?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that in 2022, a new law on crisis management was adopted. It included regulations directed towards protecting persons with disabilities. In 2023, 2024 and 2025, bylaws on evacuations and crisis management were also adopted by municipalities. National and municipal governments consulted with persons with disabilities when developing these laws, and persons with disabilities were involved in developing accessible information in disaster situations. Out of the 6,000 shelters in Lithuania, 12 per cent were adapted to persons with disabilities. The State party and municipalities were financing the installation of several new accessible shelters.

In 2023, the Ministry of Justice engaged in public consultations with stakeholders on proposed legal amendments that removed the concept of full legal incapacity from State law. These amendments would allow for all persons to call on courts to review decisions on incapacity and access legal aid. Under this model, legal incapacity would only be applied in exceptional cases. These amendments were expected to be adopted next year. The Agency on the Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities had a specialist on the prevention of legal capacity limitations; the Agency had initiated around 100 legal proceedings which had led to the restoration of legal capacity in 20 cases.

Lithuania was committed to increasing the accessibility of information provided to victims of crimes with disabilities. The Sign Language Interpretation Centre provided sign language interpretation free-of-charge in courts. The State party was strengthening training for members of the judiciary, police officers and public servants on the rights of persons with disabilities, including their rights to legal capacity and assistance. Detention centres were adapted to persons with disabilities. A pre-trial investigation was being carried out regarding the comedian who mocked persons with disabilities.

In recent years, the system of protection against domestic violence had been reinforced at various levels. The law on protection against domestic violence that came into force in 2023 established an institute for protection against violence and improved the accessibility of services for victims of violence. A fund had been set up to support violence victims and specialists helped women to leave violent relationships.

The Ministry of Health was drafting revisions to the law on mental health, trying to strengthen the promotion of rights and reduce the number of coercive measures. There had been a declining number of cases of restrictions used in recent years; they were only applied in critical situations. Decisions had not yet been made on these revisions, and the State party was considering how best to implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in this process.

Questions by Committee Experts

ALFRED KOUADIO KOUASSI, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said that the Civil Code allowed guardians to authorise procedures such as sterilisation on behalf of a person who was declared to not have legal capacity. How many sterilisations had been authorised? What measures were in place to prevent ill-treatment such as forced sterilisation of women with disabilities? The Committee had received a report that in 2019, a woman was sterilised during a caesarean section without her knowledge or consent.

Lithuania lacked legal or financial mechanisms to support independent living in communities. How would the State and municipal governments support persons with disabilities to live independently in their community and access social services?

It was commendable that the State party was working to support access to adaptable vehicles. However, persons living in long-term healthcare had lost rights to certain assistive devices, and no voice synthesis technologies that used Lithuanian language were provided by the State. What measures were in place to address this situation?

LAVERNE JACOBS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, cited concerns of a lack of support for persons with disabilities, with many reporting that they received no personal assistance from the State. This impacted their ability to participate in leisure and recreational activities and attend school. What measures were in place to ensure that there were reasonable amounts of sufficient personal support? How were assessments for personal support carried out, and how would they be streamlined across municipalities?

FLOYD MORRIS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said it was commendable that persons with disabilities who purchased technical aids from foreign countries were reimbursed by the State. Why did they need to pay upfront and how long was the turnaround time for reimbursement?

Other Committee Experts asked questions on reasons for the closure of an investigation into a 2011 case of residents in a care home being frequently locked in their rooms; mechanisms being developed to produce technological aids locally; support policies for older persons with disabilities; whether there was public discussion of "invisible disability"; data on persons with disabilities without civil registration papers; and measures to ensure that persons with disabilities who used guide dogs had equal access to public facilities, and legal mechanisms to address cases in which access rights were restricted.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a court order was needed to carry out sterilisations in Lithuania; the permission of a guardian alone was not sufficient. Lithuania was moving towards abandoning the institute of incapacity. The State aimed to ensure that such interventions as sterilisations were carried out only with the permission of the person in question. It had drafted amendments to the Civil Code that addressed this issue.

The State party was working with all municipalities and regions to carry out reform of institutional care, seeking to ensure that persons with disabilities had the right to independent living. Lithuania needed more community homes for persons with severe disabilities and other infrastructure to support community living. The State was carrying out training for staff who supported community living for persons with disabilities. Funding for support services and adapted facilities for independent living had increased, including for subsidies for assistance dogs, adapted vehicles and housing. In 2021, the State had only around 400 adapted houses but was now constructing over 1,000 adapted houses per year.

The State party provided compensation for voice synthesis technologies and software to help persons with disabilities to communicate. Some of these technologies were available in Lithuanian and the State was working to increase the number of such technologies that it provided.

The State provided an early payment mechanism for quickly reimbursing persons who purchased technical aids overseas. The Government had dedicated staff working to improve the affordability of assistance technologies and procure new technologies for provision and sale domestically.

The Government had begun providing personal assistance services in collaboration with non-governmental organizations in 2021. This year, it was developing a new provision that standardised the application procedure for personal assistance and specified the number of hours of assistance financed by the State budget. This approach would prevent municipalities' discretion from affecting the application process.

Lithuania had implemented all possible measures to prevent practices of locking residents of care homes in their rooms. For the 2011 case, staff and management of the institution had been subjected to sanctions. The delegation did not have information on why the pretrial investigation into this case was suspended. The State was doing everything it could to prevent similar cases from occurring in future.

The State party published statistics on "invisible disability" broken down by the type of disability and its severity.

There was a case in which a person with a guide dog had been prevented from entering public transport. In response to this, the State had in 2026 reviewed its law on disability and implemented revisions that specified that guide dogs could access all public areas and buildings, except in cases where they became a threat to surrounding people or animals. When guide dogs could not be allowed in public facilities, the person with a disability in question needed to be supported by a human.

Questions by a Committee Expert

FLOYD MORRIS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said the State party had implemented mandatory accessibility standards for public sector websites, but these only served as guidance for the private sector. Why was this? It was commendable that over the reporting period, some 103 sign language interpreters provided 56,000 interpretation services for 3,900 persons. What proportion of the deaf population did this represent? What measures were in place to support access to information for deaf-blind persons?

In 2019, there were 44 special-purpose schools catering for 3,800 persons with disabilities. Was there a plan to reduce these schools? The latest State party report indicated that 89 per cent of students with disabilities were attending general education institutions. What was the situation of the other 11 per cent? What measures were in place to implement inclusive education for all students? How was the State working to increase funding to support students with disabilities? Were persons with disabilities included in reviews of educational frameworks? Were measures such as extra time for exams and Braille and sign language interpretation provided to ensure that students with disabilities could perform on an equal basis with others?

Were training sessions for health professionals anchored in human rights and designed to eradicate ableism among health professionals? What measures were in place to provide universal access to sexual and reproductive health care, including family planning and public sexual health education?

In Lithuania, 29 per cent of persons with disabilities of working age were employed. What framework had been developed to abolish segregated workshops and the concept of "work incapacity"? What measures were in place to encourage employers to employ persons with disabilities? What was the poverty rate among persons with disabilities in Lithuania? How did the State ensure that persons with disabilities who used the State's discount vouchers were not seen in a negative light?

Courts had the capacity to declare individuals as being "legally incapable" in the area of elections. What criteria were used by courts for making such decisions? Were there persons with disabilities in the current Parliament?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said a law that came into effect in June 2025 required all service providers to ensure that electronic products and digital services complied with accessibility requirements. The Consumer Rights Protection Agency was responsible for monitoring the accessibility of websites.

The sign language interpretation centre covered up to 98 per cent of community needs regarding sign language. An application had been developed that allowed persons with hearing disabilities to connect remotely with a sign language interpreter at any time. The State had started designing and funding projects that promoted information accessibility for deaf-blind persons.

In the 2025-2026 academic year, there were 33 specialised schools that were attended by 3,600 students. The number of children with disabilities was increasing in Lithuania, which explained why the number of students in these schools had not decreased since 2019. The number of disability specialists employed by schools had increased by more than 40 per cent over the last three years. By 2030, the State party aimed to ensure that at least 90 per cent of students with disabilities were studying in general education establishments. It was working to adapt these schools for persons with disabilities and to strengthen regional support centres for children with disabilities. The State provided a benefit of up to 800 euros for students with disabilities; currently more than 1,500 students received this benefit. Benefits were indexed and the State ensured that they met the needs of students with disabilities, who could also obtain general student benefits. Educational services identified students' special needs and adapted their curriculum, providing specialised support as required.

The national education progress plan included key indicators on areas such as inclusive education and infrastructure adaptation. The State regularly monitored and reviewed these indicators in collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Education had established an advisory group on inclusive education that included representatives of these organizations.

Training was provided to healthcare professionals to improve the services they provided to persons with disabilities and their understanding of human rights, and to prevent the use of restrictive measures. The State was expanding teams of doctors that provided primary care to persons with disabilities and had also established a transport service to help persons with disabilities access healthcare.

Sexual and reproductive healthcare services were provided to women and girls with disabilities on an equal basis and integrated into the general healthcare system. The State also provided contraceptive measures to men and women and artificial fertilisation procedures.

Lithuania had taken measures to protect persons with disabilities in the open labour market and had abandoned segregated workplaces. Subsidies were paid to businesses to adapt workplaces and acquire technical assistance measures. Claims of abuse by employers could be submitted to the Labour Authority or the Equal Opportunity Authority.

The poverty rate for persons with disabilities was double that of the general population. The Government was increasing benefits for persons with disabilities, exempting them from various taxes, and compensating personal assistance and other services. General family cards provided to the families of persons with disabilities could be used to obtain discounts in shopping centres and at other businesses. To prevent stereotyping, the State did not provide vouchers solely for persons with disabilities.

When courts decided on incapacity regarding elections, they thoroughly assessed the person in question's ability to evaluate their own actions. No current members of Parliament had a visible or physical disability, but in the previous term, there were two such members.

Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

LAVERNE JACOBS, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, said children and parents were reportedly still being separated, including at birth. What steps had been taken to ensure that this practice ceased? Was extensive parenting support provided for persons with disabilities? Were social work professionals trained in the human rights model of disability?

Other Committee Experts asked about whether sign language interpreters were sufficiently available in schools and higher education; whether the Lithuanian Sign Language Dictionary was up-to-date and viewed as part of the curriculum; whether interpreters abided by a code of ethics that addressed the rights of persons with disabilities; and how the State was raising parents' awareness of the rights of children with disabilities in inclusive education.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Lithuania did everything it could to ensure that children were raised by their biological family. Parents of children with disabilities could receive social care services; over 1,000 families currently used these services. Social care workers received regular training and social service quality requirements were based on human rights. The number of children removed from their families had been reduced from around 3,200 in 2022 to 1,700 in 2025. Through the European Child Guarantee, the State allocated around 76 million euros to fighting social exclusion and removal of children, and 56 million euros to developing services to support children with severe disabilities.

Schools were able to obtain sign language services from the State sign language interpretation centre. Interpreters abided by a code of ethics with rules on not dominating conversations and were trained in the specificities of working with children with disabilities.

Lithuania had worked to educate society on disability rights; the State had conducted national awareness campaigns on this topic in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and each ministry conducted regular awareness campaigns promoting a tolerant society. The National Education Agency had in 2022 conducted a survey of over 14,000 people, including parents, on attitudes towards disability. It would conduct a follow-up study next year. The State was also working to increase teachers' awareness of disability rights.

Closing Statements

INDRĖ ŠIRVINSKAITĖ, Deputy Chair of Lithuania's Monitoring Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, said Lithuania had made considerable efforts in implementing the Convention, but the dialogue had demonstrated that significant challenges remained, including in the fields of independent living and inclusion in the community, legal capacity, accessibility, inclusive education, non-discrimination, the right to reasonable accommodation, emergency preparedness and the availability of reliable disability data. The Monitoring Commission looked forward to following up on the topics addressed with the State party. It remained committed to monitoring the implementation of the Convention and supporting reforms. The Committee's concluding observations would provide an important roadmap for future reform and strengthen the State's monitoring and follow-up. The State's progress would be measured not only by legislative changes but also by tangible improvements in the lives of persons with disabilities.

RITA GRIGALIENĖ, Vice Minister of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania and head of the delegation, said that the achievements that the State party had shared in the dialogue demonstrated Lithuania's steady progress in the field of disability rights. The State was committed to further strengthening its efforts to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. It aimed to, in close collaboration with civil society, build a more inclusive, just and resilient society and to implement the Convention across all public policies. The promotion of disability rights was an important part of the national agenda. The State party had taken careful note of the Committee's comments and recommendations. Ms. Grigalienė closed by thanking civil society organizations and all persons who had contributed to the dialogue.

ALFRED KOUADIO KOUASSI, Committee Expert and Member of the Country Taskforce for Lithuania, thanked the delegation for its rich contribution to the dialogue, through which the Committee had taken stock of efforts made by the State party in recent years to improve the implementation of the Convention, both in terms of legislation and practice. It had heard about positive amendments to national legislation related to inclusive education, reasonable accommodation, conduct during emergencies and assessment of disability. Despite these efforts, however, there were various challenges that remained, including related to decision-making, institutional care and access to certain services, as well as persistent barriers to employment, healthcare and transport.

The Committee trusted that the State party would effectively implement its concluding observations, in cooperation with persons with disabilities.

MIYEON KIM, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation and the independent monitoring mechanism for participating in the dialogue, as well as civil society actors who contributed to it. The information provided during the dialogue would assist the Committee in preparing its concluding observations.

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CRPD26.010E