Involvement of Organisations of the Visually Impaired in EU Employment Programmes
by Rodolfo Cattani
There is a lack of comparable data regarding the number of disabled people
and their degree of participation in the life of society. The available
statistics nonetheless show that the proportion of disabled people in relation
to the total population of the European Union is around 13%, 4% of which are
severely disabled, 9% moderately disabled. Throughout the European Union
disabled persons encounter significant barriers both in finding and in keeping
a job. A person in working age (16 to 64 years) in Europe has a probability
of 66% to find a job or to develop a business, while for a person with a
moderate disability the probability becomes 44% and for a person with a severe
disability only 25%. This is the consequence of exclusion and discrimination
which disabled people are still confronted with, despite all efforts to
overcome it.
If we try to identify the exclusion factors, we discover that in a hierarchical order the main reasons for unemployment of disabled people are attributed to the prejudice of the general public and in particular of employers, to the low educational level and the insufficient professional qualification or training, that is not in line with the demands of the production system, to the severity of their disability, the lack of adaptation of the working environment and of support and transport systems and also the lack of psychological support services. But also the existence of benefit traps that prevent disabled people to access an employment without loosing their necessary income support should be considered. Persons with disabilities and their families often lack both information and motivation.
Furthermore, 57% of the disabled workers are placed in the low paid job
categories and it is extremely difficult for them to gain access to financial
resources to create their own businesses. The unemployment of persons with
disabilities is closely related to poverty and social exclusion. This becomes
evident when we consider that only 30.5% of the disabled labour force population
is employed, while the remaining are either unemployed or inactive.
Disabled people are unemployed for a longer period of time, compared to
the rest of the population. Women with disabilities suffer double discrimination,
because of their gender. Blind and partially sighted persons are among the most
vulnerable in this group, when trying to find a job outside of the traditionally
accepted professions of telephone operators and physiotherapists, although
they have often proved their outstanding capacities also in other professions.
Therefore in some countries they are protected by specific legislative measures.
Also regarding the employment of blind and partially sighted people the
statistical data are insufficient, but there is a general feeling that in
modern society their employment rate is not growing at all, regardless of their
education and training. The first social model that was applied to the totality
of disabled people simply underscored their social exclusion. They were
treated like subjects requiring assistance and protection and as dependent
and unproductive people.
The rehabilitation became prevailing in the second half of the previous century. This model considered disabled people as requiring medical treatment in order to recover and regain their capacity to work.
A third model is currently the predominant view and its objective are to
promote autonomy and personal independence. Disability is no longer seen as
an individual characteristic only, but a social issue. The disabling factor
is not only the impairment that a person has, but also the disadvantage that
the person faces in his/her social environment. Therefore, the social
disadvantages deriving from a disability are the result of the interaction
between personal circumstances (the disability itself) and social factors
(the greater or lesser degree of accessibility in the environment, the
possibility of receiving suitable aid and technical support for independent
living, attitudes, behaviour and social norms and regulations. The
social model requires a new perspective, as the integration in society does
not result from the adaptation of the individual to the social and material
environment, but from the accommodation of the environment to the needs of
the disabled person. T8is is to be considered as a human right of the disabled
person, who must enjoy the same rights as any other citizen.An inclusive society
must eradicate every form of discrimination and guarantee equal treatment and
equal opportunities for all, including disabled people. These principles are
commonly accepted, but they would not bring about practical results without the
concept of positive action. This concept has made the difference in the legal
treatment of people who are disadvantaged. Bringing about these changes has
meant adopting policies that provide different types of treatment for people
belonging to different disability typologies. The objective of positive actions
is to ensure that the people who belong to different groups that constitute
our society, some of whom are less productive as a result of the negative
environmental conditions they face, enjoy the right to equal opportunities
in a substantial and not merely formal way.
In the 1990s public
policies have been more and more concerned with the phenomenon of disability
and have focused the issue in two ways: to promote broad anti-discrimination
legislation including specific employment policies, or to compartmentalise
policies that favour disabled people in all programs carried out by public
authorities. This approach incorporates the recognition of the right to non
discrimination in social and economic life, but employment policies have
consisted in many cases in a proliferation of norms, measures, actions or
programs intended to provide incentives to boost the participation in the
labour market (aid for hiring disabled employees, reduction of social
security contributions for companies, subsidies for the accommodation of
the workplace, measures to enforce the quota system, aid to sheltered or
special employment centres). In general, these measures do not have an inclusive
character and often they resulted in segregation rather than in inclusion of
disabled people in the labour market. This can be achieved though the shift
from passive policies such as the mere transfer of income in favour of active
policies to generate income that will have a real impact on economic and
social economy.
The reality of our new knowledge and information-based
society has opened new expectations and opportunities for all citizens.
The inclusion of persons with disabilities in a changing and even more
complex labour market is a challenge, it is the key to full integration with
the same rights as all other citizens. Employment and training policies and
actions have been strengthened by the creation of the European union.
The ratification of the Amsterdam treaty has originated a new political context.
Article 13 of the Treaty outlaws discrimination on the grounds of disability.
The Amsterdam Treaty also contains Declaration 22 annex to article 114 which
establishes that Community institutions must fear in mind the special needs of
disabled people and calls for combating discrimination and inequality of
opportunities when building the European single market.There is also an
important recommendation to include in future common Directives concerning
employment quantitative and qualitative objectives, to measure the growth
in employment of disabled people by means of common indicators.
In November 2000 the European Council adopted the Framework Directive on
Non-discrimination in Employment and Occupation, which should come into force
in December this year. This Directive has created great expectations because
it contains important principles. It states the right to employment and to
equal opportunities in recruitment for disabled people, access to vocational
training and guidance, career advancement, retraining, practical work experience,
working conditions (dismissal pay), direct and indirect discrimination,
reasonable accommodation, positive actions to promote employment, legal support,
remedies and sanctions. This Directive could be an efficient tool to help
blind and partially sighted people to improve and diversify their employment
perspectives. As soon as this Directive will be implemented by the Member States,
it will certainly improve the situation of disabled people in the labour market.
The European Employment Strategy has been launched in Luxembourg to establish
the Common Employment Guidelines approved by the Council to constitute a general
framework for the coordination of the employment policies established by the
Member States. The States are also required to draft and implement yearly
national action plans for employment, in which actions undertaken to promote
equal opportunities for disabled people are identified as priorities.
The European Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted in the European Summit
in Nice in December 2000, in particular article 21, bans all discrimination
and particularly that on the grounds of disability. The conclusions of the
European Council in Nice emphasised the priority of increasing participation
in employment, especially by underrepresented or disadvantaged groups, stressing
that more and better jobs are the key to social inclusion, that the labour market
should become more accessible and that diversity in employment should be
considered a factor for productivity and for social integration. The Summit
of Lisbon in March 2001 established links that should be a strategy towards
an economy based knowledge and innovation with the objective to creating
a more dynamic and competitive European market. The objectives of the e-Europe
2002 Action Plan launched in 2000 by the Commission was to increase the use of
the Internet by schools, businesses and private people in order to stimulate
and strengthen the economy and promote occupation. The participation of
disabled people in this action was one of the 10 priority areas identified
by the program and subsequently mainstreamed in all other areas.
A significant result of this initiative has been the Communication on the
implementation of the Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines of September
2001 that has had a good follow-up in the Member States. The European Council
adopted two resolutions, one on the "Accessibility of Public Websites And their
Content" of 20 march 2002 and another on "e-Accessibility" - "Improving the
access of people with disabilities to the Knowledge Based Society" of 14 January
2003.
In this resolution the Council "Calls on the member States and
invites the Commission to tap the Information Society's potential for people
with disabilities and, in particular, tackle the removal of technical, legal
and other barriers to their effective participation in the Knowledge Based
Economy and Society. The measures that should be adopted to this aim are
technical/standards instruments, persuasive instruments and/or legislative
measures and educative and informative instruments. The resolution calls for
improving the employability of people with disabilities through appropriate
vocational programs targeted towards KBS jobs as well as training in KBS
oriented skills within other vocational programs.
Concerning the
e-Europe 2005 Action Plan "An Information Society for all", it is regrettable
that no accessibility action line has been included. The Madrid Declaration,
the conceptual framework for action of the disability movement in the
European Year of People with Disabilities states very clearly that employment
is a key for social inclusion; that special efforts are needed to promote
the access of disabled people to employment preferably in the mainstream labour
market; that this is one of the important ways to fight against social exclusion
of disabled people and to promote their independent living and dignity; and that
this requires not only the active mobilisation of the social partners, but also
of the public authorities, which need to strengthen the measures already
in place".
In the Declaration we find the following suggestions for
action:
- The current scope of community and national legal frameworks aiming at combating discriminatory practices should be reviewed;
-The services and benefits system should be reviewed, to ensure that these policies assist and encourage disabled people to be an integral part of the society;
- Trade unions should increase their involvement to improve the access to and maintenance in employment of disabled people and ensure that they benefit from equal access to the training and promotion measures available for other workers.
On the 14th of January the European Commission has issued a Communication
on "The future of the European Employment Strategy (EES) - A strategy for full
employment and better jobs for all". The Commission proposes three basic
objectives: full employment, the promotion of quality and productivity at
work and fostering cohesion and an inclusive labour market. People with
disabilities and the EYPD are clearly mentioned under this heading. The
Communication states that "As the EU launches the European Year of the disabled
in 2003 it is crucial to recognise the difficulties faced by the persons
concerned in accessing or remaining on the labour market and to take decisive
steps to better exploit the employment potential of the disabled.
During 2003 the national Action Plans on Employment are being adopted according
to this new European Employment Strategy. It is essential that quantified targets
for the employment and training of disabled people are set within the National
Action Plans, that should also contain measures implementing the Directive
on equal treatment in employment and occupation, which has to be transposed
in the national legislation by the end of 2003. In particular, measures should
be taken in order to ensure the implementation and effectiveness of the new
legislation, such as provisions and support actions in the field of reasonable
accommodation and joint action of social partners and representative
organisations.
An important issue to be discussed in 2003 is
the adoption of an enhanced EU cooperation to promote labour market incentives
within the social protection systems. This positive development of labour
market policies but in the case of people with disabilities these measures
have to be tailored according to individual needs and capacities and that they
should be accompanied by a comprehensive set of supports such as wage subsidies
to be combined with earned income, adapted work environment and personal
support at the workplace when needed. A major element of the new European
Employment Strategy should be the visibility of disability and the mainstreaming
in the different action fields and that disability specific policies are
coordinated with the general mainstream actions.
A very effective
incentive for employment of disabled people could be the inclusion of social
clauses in public procurement legislation, which is now being revised.
Employment of people with disabilities should be considered as a positive
additional factor for the award of a public contract. The issue of job
retention is extremely important for those persons who become disabled
during their working age, in particular for those who loose their sight
during their professional activity. For them beyond the accommodation of
the workplace and a sort of Disability leave" e.g. a period of time to get
better oriented in the new working conditions could be of great help.
The main problem still consists in analysing and removing barriers to
employment and this can only be done at national level, taking into
consideration economic, but also historical, social and cultural factors.
The representative organisations of disabled people, those who really know
the needs, the expectations and the aspirations of their members should not
delegate their duty to other organisations, but should also try and create
partnerships and alliances to achieve their goals earlier and easier.
It is important to clarify that a disabled person who obtains a job should
not be penalised by benefit traps. On the contrary, employment
and participation should be encouraged by ensuring the necessary security
especially for those unable to earn a full income. Compensation for extra
costs necessary to support disabled workers in their activities and mobility
should be maintained also when they are in employment. Measures facilitating
conciliation between professional and family life should be developed,
in order to support mothers and fathers of disabled children. The possibility
to take a parental leave should also be extended in order to include
disabled family members regardless of their age.
In conclusion, I would like to say that the employment policies of the European
Union are advancing the issue of the right to work for all disabled citizens.
There is no doubt that blind and partially sighted persons constitute a highly
vulnerable group amongst the totality of disabled people, although they have
been able to find professions which they could perform because they were able
to master the procedures and verify the results. There is no doubt as well that
if we will not be able to keep pace with the impetuous evolution of technology
and to increase the social mobility of the visually impaired job seekers and
workers their employment rate will decrease. For totally blind people and for
people who have visual and learning disabilities the future is quite problematic,
because they are simply refused if employers can hire a disabled person with a
less severe impairment. It is important for EBU to analyse very carefully the
changes in the labour market, developing a specific long-term strategy in order
to equip our national organisations with the necessary knowledge and experience
to use at national level.
We all know that in Europe persons with disabilities need a comprehensive
non-discrimination Directive covering all aspects of disability and providing
for a legal basis to protect disabled people from discrimination.
You should consider that our society is evolving from the solidarity approach
to the human rights approach, strictly related to the principles of
non-discrimination and equal treatment. It is important that we keep pace
with this evolution and try to influence it to our advantage.
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