Global Love Report – July 9th, 2025
English summary by Margaret
In today’s dating world, dominated by visuals and fast-paced apps, people with disabilities often face greater obstacles in forming romantic connections. Responding to this gap, Tanja De Block, based in Belgium, founded InclusiefDaten, a matchmaking agency focused on creating a more inclusive and accessible experience. More than just matching clients, the agency provides tailored emotional and psychological support, especially for those navigating mental, social, or physical challenges.
At first, InclusiefDaten was a matchmaking agency for ‘people with depth.’ But they soon noticed that most of their clients were individuals with physical or mental disabilities. Seeing this overwhelming demand, Tanja decided to focus on serving both people with and without disabilities. However, she also notes that nearly all members today are people with disabilities, something that, for her, underscores the persistent stigma in conventional dating.
What sets her agency apart is its emphasis on emotional readiness, not just compatibility. She believes that true connection requires addressing underlying issues. “It makes no sense to send people on 101 dates when underlying problems stop them from meeting a match,” she says. Depending on the client’s needs, she offers counseling herself or refers them to trusted psychologists or therapists.
In her effort to change perceptions, she also promotes the humanization of people with disabilities. She collaborates with inclusion-focused groups like Dito VZW to organize social activities and has launched a podcast featuring real stories from people with chronic illnesses or neurodivergent conditions. Through these personal stories, she hopes the stories help listeners see that disabilities don’t define a person and dating someone with one isn’t as complicated as it seems.
Despite limited funding, she has chosen to keep her services highly affordable, charging just one symbolic euro to register. But she stresses the need for broader support to sustain such efforts. She points out that while singles in general are more vulnerable to loneliness due to limited time, support, and resources, these challenges are significantly more severe for those with disabilities.
Originally published by: Nieuwsblad
