Today is International Workers’ Day. For countless persons with disabilities in Europe, it serves as another reminder of the many barriers they face to being employed.
Only 51.3% of persons with disabilities in the European Union are employed, compared to 75.6% of persons without disabilities. This figure is lower for women with disabilities – only 49% – and for young persons with disabilities, who have an employment rate of only 47.4%.
Furthermore, Europe also has a very clear disability pay gap. Persons with disabilities in Europe earn significantly less than their counterparts without disabilities. Women with disabilities are again shown to fare worse.
That is why the EU must launch the EU Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee.
It is not a totally new idea. The European Union has a similar scheme for young people, the Youth Guarantee. The Youth Guarantee has supported over 50 million young people since its creation in 2013, and employment rates among young people have steadily grown.
The Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee should build on the success of the Youth Guarantee and:
- Grant job opportunities in the open labour market (not in sheltered workshops)
- be open to persons with disabilities of any age
- not affect people’s eligibility to continue receiving disability allowance and other support from the State
- offer support to put in place the necessary workplace adjustments
On International Workers’ Day, we call on the European Union and its Member States to fulfil their commitments to persons with disabilities and to their right to employment. ‘We want fair wages in the open labour market!
What might this look like in practice?
Imagine Maria, 32, is a person with disabilities who has been out of the labour market for an extended period of time. She could register for the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee, she at her local employment office. The EU funds for this initiative (taken from the European Social Fund) would be used alongside national funds to help either pay for training that would help Maria find work in an area that suits her, or to actually find a work placement directly by subsidising her salary for the first few months of employment. This should be implemented no more than four months after Maria enrols in the programme, and not have an impact on her disability allowance or access to services. Should Maria also need an assistive device or technology to enable her to work, and this not be covered by State subsidies, funding from the Guarantee can help her employer or educational establishment acquire it.