Promoting equal opportunities and outcomes in employment for persons with disabilities

Promoting equality of opportunity for – and inclusion of – people with disabilities is central to social and economic development, emergence from the global financial and economic crisis and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Despite major gains in recent years, people with disabilities still face discrimination and other barriers to full participation in social, economic, political and cultural life. Of an estimated 650 million people with disabilities, 470 million are of working age. 

People with disabilities are likely to be unemployed or earn less than non-disabled people and be in jobs with poor promotional prospects and working conditions, especially if they are women. Many work in the unprotected, informal economy. Few have access to skills development and other opportunities that would enable them to earn a decent living.

The potential of very many disabled women and men remains untapped and unrecognized, leaving a majority living in poverty, dependence and social exclusion. Excluding disabled persons from the world of work has costs for societies, in terms of their productive potential, the cost of disability benefits and pensions and implications for their families and carers. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that this exclusion may cost countries between 1 to 7 per cent of GDP. Promoting equality of opportunity for – and inclusion of – people with disabilities is central to social and economic development, emergence from the global financial and economic crisis and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

In the Pacific Island Countries (PIC), up-to-date is limited, but it is estimated that up to 800,000 people are living with disabilities. For example, the survey conducted in Kiribati by Inclusion International in 2003-2004 identified 4.36% of the population as living with disability; while another survey in the island of ‘Eua in Tonga in 2007, showed 13%. A similar survey in Samoa revealed an incidence of disability of 2.2%. In Fiji, the 1996 Fiji census identified that 12,000 or 2% of Fiji’s population as having a disability.

 

THE ILO RESPONSE

ILO concern with disability issues is based on its commitment to social justice and achieving decent and productive work for all. ILO standards, including the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159), its associated Recommendation (No. 168), the Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195) and the ILO Code of practice on managing disability in the workplace, 2002, provide the framework for the ILO’s response to requests for support for this target group, emphasizing the inclusion of disabled persons in general training and employment-related programmes and in the open labour market.

Across the Pacific Islands, the ILO is currently supporting many counties to modernize their labour laws and to better apply international labour standards. These new labour laws typically include provisions prohibiting discrimination – including disabilities. Labour Inspections services are being strengthened to apply these new labour laws. This on-going work provides the legislative platform upon which further important work can be based.

The ILO recognizes the need and opportunity to do more in supporting people with disabilities find decent work. In 2012, A publication title “Disabilities and Decent Work in the Pacific: The case for disability inclusive employment” was launched. This publication highlighted some of the challenges faced by persons with disability in accessing decent jobs and to identify relevant labour standards and other policy interventions that could advance disability in the workplace and assist Pacific Island countries address these challenges.

Additional support that can be provided through the ILO includes:

1. SUPPORT GOVERNMENTS, SOCIAL PARTNERS, AND DISABLED PEOPLES ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYABILITY OF WOMEN AND MEN WITH DISABILITIES - The ILO actively promotes ratification and application of these instruments and in the Pacific the ILO has tested the use of a National Assessment Matrix based on ILO Standards C.159 / R.168 which is annexed in the publication “Disabilities and Decent Work in the Pacific: The case of disability inclusive employment”.

2. SUPPORT EMPLOYER’S ORGANIZATIONS AND THEIR PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERS TO MAKE AVAILABLE WAGED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN WITH DISABILITIES IN THEIR WORKPLACES - This effort uses the ILO Code of Practice for Managing Disability in the Workplace, 2002. This code guides employers on how to adopt a positive strategy in managing disability related issues in the workplace. It is intended to be read in the context of national conditions and to be applied in accordance with national law and practice.

In addition, the ILO Global Business and Disability Network which is comprised of representatives from multinational enterprises, employers' organizations and business networks, and selected non-governmental and disabled peoples' organizations assists companies include people with disabilities in the workforce from the perspective of business and human rights cases.

3. SUPPORT GOVERNMENTS AS AN EMPLOYER OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ROLE MODEL – In most Pacific Island countries, the government is the largest employer. In addition to it legislative means, the government can demonstrate its commitment to employing people with disabilities by operating as a ‘model employer’ or role model. This can include quotas for government departments to employ people with disabilities, thereby demonstrating its commitment. Beyond this, government may make adoption of such practices a condition of the receipt of public finance under government procurement programs, grants and subsidies and so on. It might also seek to encourage the take up of the desired practices through education and information programs.

4. SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF TRAINING ON ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO DEVELOP SKILLS SET, WHICH WILL ASSIST THEM IN BECOMING SELF-EMPLOYMENT – The ILO has a range enterprise development training packages suitable for this purpose. For example the ILO’s Community-Based Enterprise Development (CBED) training tool that builds the capacity of current or aspiring entrepreneurs to start or improve their businesses without requiring external trainers or facilitators. CBED’s simple design enables community facilitators to guide training sessions by providing instructions for participant-driven individual and group activities. Consequently, the implementation of CBED is very low cost and has great utility vulnerable or marginalised communities that would traditionally be inaccessible due to social or geographical isolation. CBED programme is currently being applied through the Disabled People’s Organization in Vanuatu and Fiji.

Recognizing that access to fiancé can be particularly challenging the ILO can draw on its Social Finance programme for appropriate national and local solutions.

Consistent with the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disabilities, the ILO Office for Pacific Island countries welcomes the opportunity to partner with Governments, social partners, Disabled Peoples Organizations and donors to develop effective technical cooperation programmes in these areas.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

In addition to the ILO Standards and publications cited above the following reference material can be of use:

• Achieving Equal Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities through Legislation (Online guide available at /skills/Whatsnew/WCMS_162169/lang--en/index.htm)
• Count us in! How to make sure that women with disabilities can participate effectively in mainstream women’s entrepreneurship development activities, Geneva, ILO, 2008
• Disabilities and Decent Work in the Pacific: The case of disability inclusive employment, ILO Country Office for Pacific Island Countries, Suva, Fiji Islands, 2012
• Disability in the workplace : Company practices, ILO Geneva: ILO, 2010
• Disability in the Workplace: Employers’ Organizations and Business Networks – Working Paper No, 6, ILO Geneva, 2011
• From rights to reality: Trade unions promoting decent work for persons with disabilities (video) Geneva, ILO. 2008.
• Opening Pathways to Training and Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (2010) - Video available at http://www./ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/multimedia/video/institutional-videos/WCMS_145677/lang--en/index.htm
• The ILO’s Global Business and Disability Network. The Network is comprised of representatives from multinational enterprises, employers' organizations and business networks, and selected nongovernmental and disabled peoples' organizations to assist companies include people with disabilities in the workforce from the perspective of business and human rights cases. (http://www.businessanddisability.org/).
• The price of exclusion: The economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work, Sebastian Buckup. ILO, Geneva, 2009.
• The right to decent work of persons with disabilities, O’Reilly, A. ILO Geneva, 2007.
• Trade Unions and Decent Work for People with Disabilities – ILO’s information sheet (/public/english/region/asro/bangkok/ability/download/tufact.pdf)