2023 is the EU Year of Skills. There is a lot of potential to mainstream disability into the activities of this European Year.
The EU Year of Skills is an opportunity to support the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market and society. However, the skills we should be focusing on must not only be those that open the door to labour market inclusion. They should also be life skills for greater independence. Furthermore, inclusion is not only dependent on developing the skills of persons with disabilities themselves but equally those of the general population.
We believe the EU Year of Skills should focus on:
- Bridging the digital skills gap (between persons with and without disabilities);
- Promote vocational training in sectors requiring non-digital skills;
- Include persons with disabilities in reskilling programmes;
- Improve life skills;
- Teach national sign languages, easy-to-read communication and other accessible communications methods;
- Promote human rights-compliant training for persons providing support services.
- Develop skills of the general population to include people with disabilities.
Digital skills and vocational training
Digital skills are are indispensable for personal autonomy. The Year of Skills should also be a platform to promote the importance of vocational training in sectors requiring non-digital skills and ensure persons with disabilities are welcomed there.
Reskilling
As Europe continues to embark upon its green transition, the reskilling of workers to make way for more sustainable economies promises to pave the way for significant job growth – it should include persons with disabilities.
Life skills
Beyond skills to improve employability, the EU Year of Skills should also focus on improving life skills. For persons with disabilities, this can take many forms, but of crucial importance is the ability to better prepare people for independent living.
Support services
In the context of the new EU Care Strategy, the Year of Skills should also focus on the skills of those providing support services to persons with disabilities. It should focus on ensuring that assistance to persons with disabilities is aligned with the UN CRPD. Greater skills are needed to ensure support is offered in line with the wishes of the person using the service and that service providers are facilitating that person’s way of living rather than dictating to them how they should live.
Accessible communications
We would also urge the EU Year of Skills to focus on boosting the teaching of national sign languages in the EU Member States to foster societies in which sign language users can more freely communicate with those around them. Skills for providing easy-to-read communication and producing material in Braille are also needed. In the same vein, attention should be paid to improving the skills required for live captioning during broadcasts, events, and meetings etc.
Disability awareness
It is also essential that persons who do not have disabilities develop skills to better include their peers with disabilities. To begin with, the EU needs to invest in building knowledge around digital accessibility for persons with disabilities, particularly in compliance with the Web Accessibility Directive.
Inclusive teaching and learning
Greater understanding also needs to be developed around how to foster inclusive environments. This is a skill that is important in all areas of life, particularly when it comes to facilitating inclusive learning spaces and implementing reasonable accommodation in the workplace. We would like the EU Year of Skills to focus on building better skills among educators and employers, in particular when it comes to making these particular settings inclusive.
Contact
Haydn Hammersley – Social Policy Coordinator
haydn.hammersley@edf-feph.org
Photo credit: European Commission, 2022