Support to Visually Impaired Worker’s Mobility in Europe
by Mokrane BOUSSAID
My initial research rapidly demonstrated that the mobility of visually handicapped workers in Europe is a virtually uncharted area, though it deserves close attention in view of current development, that is to say the construction and broadening of Europe.
I shall attempt to approach this issue from two distinct, but complementary angles: first of all the role of associations in the assistance of blind and visually impaired individuals from European countries in their search for a job in another European country. I shall then consider mobility from the blind or visually impaired person's standpoint. Indeed, it seemed interesting to gain an understanding of the extreme weakness of geographical mobility within our community through an assessment of the hesitations and hence of the obstacles to overcome.
I - It is generally considered that the corollary of European unity is the free circulation of men and goods. Those of you that frequently travel within the European Union will no doubt have noticed that internal border police checks have been removed. We are, however, far from the situation where EU country nationals can freely stay and work in another EU country. For example, an Italian national wishing to move to France must, three months following his arrival on French soil, present himself to the police headquarters to obtain a residence permit and work permit if required. Blind and visually impaired individuals are by no means exempt from these administrative procedures. These latter are in fact a required waypoint for their successful integration in the host country.
Indeed, in virtually all of the Union's countries, job assistance services for handicapped persons are controlled by government bodies. They are relayed by associations mainly in charge of training and information. A foreign worker can access these services only after successfully completing the above-mentioned administrative formalities. Some examples: in France, are eligible for funding of the adaptation of their workstation by the AGEFIPH (Fund for the professional insertion of handicapped persons) only those persons recognised as handicapped workers (I do not take into account the more specific case of students). A non-French national, however, can only aspire to the status of handicapped worker if he already possesses a residence permit leading to the right to work. In the United Kingdom, the Access to Employment programme is open to non-British nationals insofar as these latter have obtained a residence and work permit. The data I was able to collect in Spain, Italy and Sweden tend to confirm this observation.
In summary, obtaining a work permit from the relevant authorities provides access to all benefits (workstation adaptation, training and information, locomotion) that are available to nationals of the host country. The associations appear to have little or no involvement prior to fulfilling these formalities. Once these formalities have been completed, a blind or visually impaired person from another European country is eligible for the broad range of assistance measures that have been described over the past two days.
II - The
causes of the poor professional mobility of blind and visually impaired individuals must be sought elsewhere. It therefore seemed interesting to question a number of blind and visually impaired persons with respect to their willingness to settle and work in a country other than their own. I was able to interview some ten visually impaired persons from my entourage. This sample was necessarily restricted as I needed to identify individuals speaking a foreign language, thus avoiding from the outset any difficulties of a linguistic nature. All of the respondents considered that it is extremely difficult for a non-sighted person to relocate abroad. The main reasons given for this are as follows:
Job search
It would appear that finding a job is a prerequisite for expatriation. The job search must be performed from the country of origin. Only two interviewees would consider performing their search from the host country. The fear of remaining jobless in the host country is therefore very strong, and one can easily understand that a blind or visually impaired person would prefer to be assured of effectively being able to work before embarking on the adventure. To the question of how to find a job abroad from one's own country, all interviewees placed their hopes in the assistance that could be provided by associations for the blind or visually impaired operating in the host country. This attitude is literally a reflex. It probably stems from the fact that the rare mobility experiences that I was able to observe were made possible thanks to the intervention of these associations. The EBU office is often called upon by blind or visually impaired persons wishing to move abroad. Their first reflex is to ask for details of the associations in the host country.
However, we know that the operating leeway for associations in this area is particularly limited. A number of these associations, such as the RNIB, have few placement activities
per se, but rather of assistance through training and information. As such, the ONCE (Spanish National Association for the Blind) is an exception to this rule, as it plays an important role in the placement of the blind and visually impaired. Ms. Aurelia Millan informed me, during a recent telephone conversation, that the ONCE also provided its placement activities to foreign nationals, on condition that these latter had previously performed their administrative duties (residence and work permits).
Settling in
Settling in abroad is easier to consider in a country or town the blind or
visually impaired person already knows, or where he or she has a network of
friends and relations likely to assist him in his initial steps. Failing such
a network, how can one guarantee room and board during the settling in period?
This question may seem trivial, but it was in fact of prime importance for all
respondents. Are the associations in a position to answer these types of
requirements? In the context of an academic exchange, I myself worked in
England for one year. If the room and board issue had not been settled prior
to my departure for London, I would not have felt able to cope in my new
situation. How was this question solved? My Parisian university contacted
its London partner, which was able to "place" me in a hostel for the blind
run by the RNIB. My room and meals were provided at a very affordable,
and therefore probably pre-agreed price, thus enabling me to dedicate myself
fully to my professional insertion. These hostels for the blind, however,
are now a thing of the past. The current trend is towards the phasing out of
such associations, this type of structure being no longer
economically viable.
Assistance measures
This issue appeared to be of lesser importance to respondents, whose attitude could be interpreted in the following manner: let's find a job and settle in, the rest will follow! It is worth remembering that jobs are sought mainly from associations offering a "protected" environment, thus requiring reduced assistance. One area, however, seemed to be of concern to respondents: that of orientation and locomotion. In reality, the required assistance measures pertain more to improved control over daily life than to successful professional insertion (familiarisation with the new environment, assistance in the fulfilment of administrative procedures, etc.).
Social benefits
All respondents raised the question of services provided to handicapped persons in the host country. For eight of these, receiving significantly lower benefits than those received in their own country constituted a strong deterrent. The converse did not, however, apply in the sense that significantly higher benefits in the host country did not constitute an incentive to expatriation.
The standardisation, at the European level, of social benefits, more specifically of those pertaining to handicap compensation, is no longer on the agenda. The European institutions are generally reticent to become involved in this type of issue, for which the Member States retain a great latitude in the name of subsidiarity. It is, however, worth noting that the harmonisation of
certain aspects of the social security systems, at the European level, is currently under consideration. The European Commission has submitted a proposal along these lines which is currently being considered by the European Parliament. It is, of course, too early to make any predictions concerning the future of the Commission's proposal, which should nevertheless be closely monitored.
I am aware that I have asked more questions than I have answered. But it appeared important to me to consider the problem of the geographical mobility of the blind and visually impaired from
their standpoint. My comments are simple, but they reflect the real concerns and requirements of those concerned. To what extent can the associations meet these requirements? The answer to this question must probably be formulated while keeping in mind the requirement for economic viability. This is a challenge that the associations must take up in order for full European citizenship to have any meaning for blind and visually impaired persons.
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