Today we celebrate the major milestone achieved in France by the Fédération Française des Diabétiques (FFD).
The FFD has published a comprehensive report on the state of the rights of people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), serving as a powerful tool to highlight the everyday realities faced by them, as well as the legal, social and healthcare gaps that still persist within the French system.
The report examines several key areas affecting the rights and everyday lives of people living with T1D in France. It focuses on barriers that continue to exist despite medical and technological progress. It also calls for a more individualised approach to assessing people’s situations. According to the report, automatic exclusions and outdated perceptions still limit equal participation in many aspects of society.
One of the main sections addresses access to employment. The report highlights that people living with T1D are still excluded from certain professions or discouraged from applying because of restrictive eligibility criteria and persistent misconceptions about the condition. The FFD argues that recruitment and fitness assessments should be based on individual circumstances and current medical realities rather than blanket restrictions.
Building on this issue of access to work, the report turns to the challenges of maintaining employment. It outlines the practical difficulties many people face in the workplace, including the need for flexibility for medical appointments, access to reasonable accommodations, and concerns about disclosing their condition due to fear of stigma or discrimination. It also stresses the importance of ensuring that employers better understand diabetes and adapt working environments where necessary.
Beyond employment, the report also focuses on everyday rights and mobility, particularly in relation to driving licences. While people living with T1D are legally entitled to drive in most cases, the report notes that administrative procedures, medical assessments and inconsistent practices can create uncertainty and anxiety. The FFD calls for clearer, fairer and more proportionate evaluations that take into account advances in diabetes management technologies and the individual’s actual health condition.
Finally, the report examines access to insurance, particularly borrower insurance, as another area where inequalities exist. It highlights that people living with T1D may still face higher premiums, exclusions or difficulties obtaining coverage despite improvements in treatment and life expectancy. The FFD emphasises the need to combat discriminatory practices and ensure fairer access to financial services.
These priorities reflect concerns shared across the global diabetes community, from access to healthcare to the social and educational inclusion of people living with diabetes.
The publication also builds on the Federation’s longstanding advocacy work in this area. Over recent years, the FFD has contributed to important policy and legislative developments aimed at replacing automatic exclusions with more individualised assessments of people living with diabetes.
These developments include reforms to physical fitness requirements for certain public sectors professions, updated eligibility for roles such us firefighters and police officers and clearer driving license regulations.
Over recent weeks, the FFD has presented its work to French public authorities, holding meetings with both the Health Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Health Advisor to the President of the Republic. The Federation also organised a webinar to present the main findings of the report, with insights from their team and from those with lived experience.
At IDF Europe, we see this achievement as a remarkable example of evidence-based advocacy. By formally documenting rights violations and unmet needs, the FFD provides policymakers with a clear roadmap for structural reforms.
Diabetes must not be a barrier to full participation in society.