The Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee would provide earmarked funding.
125 organisations are calling on the European Commission to announce a new EU Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee as part of the updated Disability Rights Strategy, through a joint letter sent today. The joint letter, addressed to Executive Vice-President Mînzatu and Commissioner Lahbib calls on the Guarantee to be a key actions of this ‘Enhanced Disability Rights Strategy’ is set to be presented during the College of Commissioners meeting of 6 May.
The organisations note that earmarked funding and programmes are necessary to reduce the large unemployment rates of persons with disabilities. Only 52.7% of persons with disabilities in the European Union are employed, compared to 76.7% of persons without disabilities. Previous research by the European Disability Forum shows the gap is largely due to lack of necessary adjustments, insufficient offer of assistive technology and lower digital skills.
The joint letter proposes that the Guarantee addresses these issues through allocated funding to:
- Give access to mainstream employment opportunities, apprenticeships or training.
- Grant job opportunities in the open labour market (not in sheltered workshops).
- Offer support to assist companies and organisations in providing necessary adjustments for the person at work.
- Ensure access to certification that can attest to the skills acquired by participants with disabilities.
They underline that the Guarantee must not affect people’s eligibility to continue receiving disability allowance and other support from the State.
Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum, said:
This Guarantee is an essential step to ensure persons with disabilities have a level-playing field in the world of work. If we want a competitive Europe, it is essential we give everyone equal opportunities to contribute!
Additional Information
- Joint letter ‘For a Disability Employment Guarantee as flagship initiative of the enhanced Disability Strategy’
- Infographic What is the Disability Employment and Skills Guarantee?
- Fair employment for persons with disabilities: we need the EU Disability Employment Guarantee!
- EU must support rights of workers with disabilities with Disability Employment Guarantee
- Updated EU Disability Rights Strategy – campaign page