Poland

Poland 

At a glance

• Poland’s Charter of Persons with Disabilities protects the rights of disabled employees, customers and members of the public in Poland. 

• Poland’s Accessibility Plus programme, running from 2018-2025, provides funding to projects to remove barriers to disabled people’s participation in society. 

• Czechia has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

Key stats

• Disabled people make up 12.2 per cent of the population of Poland (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy). 

• 40.2 per cent of disabled people in Poland are employed, compared with 75 per cent of non-disabled people. The disability employment gap is 34.8 percentage points (European Commission, 2021). 

The law

• Disability legislation: The Charter of Persons with Disabilities (1997) protects disabled people’s rights, including to: 
  • Access goods and services as customers and service users 
  • Work “in conditions adapted to needs of people with disabilities” when adaptations are needed 
  • “Live in an environment free from functional barriers” including access to offices, public utilities, transport, access to information and communication. 

• Definition of disability – The Charter of Persons with Disabilities defines disabled people as “people whose physical, mental or intellectual ability either permanently or temporarily impairs, restricts or prevents daily life, education, work and performing social roles.” 

Employment

• Adjustments / accommodations – Employers are required to make ‘reasonable accommodations’ for disabled employees. The definition of ‘reasonable accommodation’ follows the UN CRPD definition. Employers do not have to make accommodations that would be a “disproportionate burden” on the employer. Accommodations include: 
  • Flexible or reduced work hours 
  • Adaptive equipment 
  • Extra breaks 
  • Adjusted leave policies. 

• Asking for information – Employers can require candidates to complete a medical examination to assess their fitness for the role. This must only relate to the requirements of the job. 

• Quotas – The Disabled Persons Act requires employers with more than 25 employees to ensure that at least 6 per cent of the workforce is disabled. 

• Data – Employers are required to report on the numbers of disabled people in the workforce, to meet the 6 per cent quota. 

• Incentives – The Polish government offers a number of incentives to encourage employers to hire and retain disabled employees, including: 
  • Tax benefits 
  • Grants for adaptations and accommodations 
  • Reductions to insurance premiums. 

• Further information: 
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – Profile on economic inclusion for people with disabilities and older workers: Poland. 

Customers

• Are there any legal protections for disabled customers? 

Built environment

• Poland currently lacks a detailed standard for physical accessibility. There are some standards at local levels (Accessibility Plus).  

Digital accessibility

• Polish Accessibility Act (2024) – This brings the European Accessibility Act (EAA) into Polish domestic law. The EAA is due to come into effect in July 2025. It mandates a minimum standard of accessibility across a wide range of digital products and services. It applies to public bodies and private businesses. See our guidance on the EAA for more information. You can read the Polish government’s announcement of the law on their website. 

Country-specific disability organisations

Polish Disability Forum – An umbrella organisation that seeks to bring together individuals and organisations to promote the rights of disabled people in Poland.

Case studies

Global Conference 2023

Listen to State Street’s Monika Jankowska-Rangelov at our 2023 Global Conference discuss State Street’s initiatives to support disability inclusion across multiple locations:

Monika also discussed how State Street educates employees to ensure workplace are inclusive:

Finally, Monika explained the importance of disability inclusion to customers, clients and other stakeholders in influencing businesses to develop further:

Watch the full programme of sessions from our 2023 Global Conference. You can see clips from past events on our Conferences page.

Global Conference 2022

Listen to State Street’s Monika Jankowska-Rangelov at our 2022 Global Conference discuss the relations between employers and employees in Poland:

Monika also later discussed the differences between office working and hybrid working in Poland:

All the sessions from our 2022 Global Conference are available to watch. You can see clips from past events on our Conferences page.

Would you like to showcase your organisation’s work on our Knowledge Hub? Contact enquiries@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.