Adopting a socio-legal approach, this thesis investigates the role of European Union (EU) law in enabling professionals with disabilities to take part in cultural life, and in implementing Article 30(2) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Drawing on qualitative data collected with stakeholders in the cultural and creative sectors (CCS), the thesis discusses the challenges faced by cultural and creative professionals, and provides novel insights into the key issues underlying the participation of professionals with disabilities in cultural life. On this basis, the thesis considers the extent to which the EU legal framework can facilitate this participation. It focuses on four issues identified during the data analysis: non-discrimination and equality; accessibility; the EU funding system; and knowledge-building and awareness-raising –with the latter theme being addressed in a cross-cutting manner. Guided by the issues deemed essential by the participants for fostering the participation of professionals with disabilities in the CCS, the thesis demonstrates how the EU legal framework can support these professionals in developing and utilising their potential. It notes that various instruments promoting the application of the principle of equal treatment in the EU, such as the Employment Equality Directive, can benefit CCS professionals with disabilities. However, the research also considers the incomplete protection against disability-based discrimination in the EU and its consequences for CCS professionals with disabilities. Additionally, the thesis emphasises how EU accessibility legislation can facilitate the participation of professionals with disabilities in the CCS, while also highlighting the fragmented and limited nature of accessibility provisions. Furthermore, it argues that the EU funding system can support these professionals in many ways through programmes, such as Creative Europe, and other funds. However, it also stresses how the EU funding system can perpetuate precarity in the CCS and can practically prevent persons with disabilities from accessing opportunities in these sectors.