Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities

This year's International Day of Disabled Persons concentrates on equal employment opportunities for women and men with disabilities. In most countries up to 80% of persons with disabilities of working age are currently unemployed and can therefore not realise their full potential. While this is a global reality, it is most critical in the developing world where 80% of all persons with disabilities live. Often, persons with disabilities are driven to begging, receiving hand-outs, and welfare in order to survive.

To mark World Disability Day 2007, the European Commission is hosting a lunchtime conference on ‘decent work on disability’. CBMs CBR Advisor, Karen Heinicke- Motsch, will lead the conference. Karen, editor of ‘Building Inclusive Communities and co-director of ‘Loud Proud and Prosperous’, a film about economic empowerment for women with disabilities told us ‘people with disabilities have been shut out of education and are denied access to basic services. It is no surprise, then, that in many countries up to 80 percent of people with disabilities of working age are not employed and that 1 out of 6 people living on less than $1 a day has a disability’. The denial of opportunities and negative attitudes are the main reasons why persons with disabilities are disproportionately absent from the workforce.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises in Article 27 the rights of persons with disabilities to work and enjoy equal employment opportunities. It emphasises the right of persons with disabilities to earn a living from freely chosen work, and to work in an environment that is both accessible and accepting. The Convention places responsibility with the business community and employers to adapt workplaces and practices. The Convention also means that the international development community will have greater roles to play in the social and economic integration of persons with disabilities in the developing world.

In order to support the implementation of the Convention, this International Day prompts CBM to look for new ways of equalising work opportunities for people with disabilities. CBM sees this as a process which starts by guaranteeing the right of children with disabilities to full and equal participation in school as well as access to basic health and rehabilitation services. This needs to be followed by access to secondary and tertiary education or relevant vocational training that prepares people for the job market. Employers and those in the business community need to play their role by ensuring that barriers to employment for people with disabilities are eradicated.

It is also a reality that for many persons with disabilities in developing countries, self-employment is the only option. Countries should consider ways to support persons with disabilities in this area, such as the inclusion of persons with disabilities in micro-credit and finance schemes. Historically such schemes have largely excluded persons with disabilities as potential beneficiaries.

Engagement in economic activities paves the road for best possible integration, independence and self-esteem. To ensure equal employment opportunities of persons with disabilities CBM:

• Supports vocational training programmes that enhance marketable skills for persons with disabilities and thus improve their employment opportunities.
• Promotes initiatives for the establishment of micro enterprises through business advice and provision of loans.
• Promotes access and integration of persons with disabilities to existing vocational training- and employment programmes that were previously not accessible to a person with disability.
• In 2006, through CBM support a total of 39,925 persons with disabilities had access to vocational training and 14,000 persons with disabilities gained access to work.