The Diversity and Inclusion strategy focuses on four main target groups: women, staff with disabilities, LGBTI people and older staff.

69. Favours the inclusion of disability in development cooperation, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) taking account of the fact that a disproportionate number of people with disabilities live in developing countries, many of whom are marginalised, live in extreme poverty and are unable to enjoy the full range of human rights, and stresses that the European Year for Development is a once‑in-a generation opportunity to champion the rights and needs of all people, including the most vulnerable and marginalised, and in particular of people with disabilities, including children, young people and ...[+++] women with disabilities;

(b) indirect discrimination shall be taken to occur where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put persons of a particular religion or belief, a particular disability, a particular age, a particular sexual orientation or gender, or having a combination of these specific characteristics – or persons associated with them – at a particular disadvantage compared with other persons, unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary, there is such a thing as discrimination by association, whereby a person is unfavou ...[+++]rably affected as a result of being in a direct relationship with people having a particular religion or set of beliefs, or a disability, or of a certain age or sexual orientation.

(12a) Discrimination may be based on religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation of a given person or on a combination of these factors, as well as on the presumed religion, belief, disability, age or sexual orientation of a given person or of a person with whom the latter is associated or presumed to be associated.

2a. The Member States shall take into consideration the interests and needs of different groups of disabled persons with reference to both their various disabilities and their gender, age, race or ethnic origin, religion or personal belief, sexual orientation, and other factors of discrimination.

It should provide for measures to ensure the equal access to the areas covered of persons of a particular religion or belief, disability, age or particular sexual orientation, or a combination of these specific characteristics, and of persons associated with them.