EESC calls for better inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), has adopted an opinion supporting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the open labour market, calling for the promotion of measures and policies (including the setup of a joint fund between Member States) that would buttress these efforts.

The EESC put forward its recommendations in the opinion Promoting the social integration of persons with disabilities and persons with changed working capacity, which was adopted following a debate during its September plenary session.

In his opening remarks to the debate, EESC president Oliver Röpke stated: "Today’s debate highlights the urgent need to bridge the employment gap for persons with disabilities, who face significantly higher unemployment rates across Europe. Despite the legal frameworks in place, the reality is stark—too many are still excluded from the labor market. We must ensure that persons with disabilities are meaningfully involved in designing policies that impact them, and that social partners actively promote respect for their rights. The EESC is committed to continuing its efforts, in close collaboration with the European Disability Forum and other institutions, to create a truly inclusive society for all."

A key theme of the EESC opinion, prepared by EESC rapporteur Pietro Vittorio Barbieri, is the need to avoid relying solely on solutions such as sheltered employment when it comes to the professional integration of persons with disabilities. As he explained: "Sheltered employment is an impediment to entering the job market - tantamount to segregation. We would like to transcend the model of sheltered work: we need a true paradigm shift in order to stop seeing people with disabilities as charity cases."

EESC member, President of the Lithuanian Disability Forum and Board member of the European Disability Forum, Dovilė Juodkaitė, highlighted the importance of the term "social inclusion" in this debate, since society should be adapted to better integrate persons with disabilities, rather than seeing them take sole responsibility for their integration into the open labour market. Juodkaitė also presented some of the key topics and measures covered in the opinion, including the potential creation of a joint fund for reasonable accommodation.

A joint fund for reasonable accommodation

Through its opinion, the EESC stresses the need to promote policies and measures that strengthen access to the open labour market, urging the European Commission to implement the related policy actions under the Disability Employment Package. Measures should be in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the CRPD Committee and the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Among the measures put forward by the EESC is the possible creation of a joint fund for reasonable accommodation which would be financed by both private and public employers to help EU countries boost the number of disabled persons entering the job market. Positive employment measures should also include incentives designed to encourage entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities (both at the individual and collective level).

There is also a need to promote and establish uniformity and coherence when implementing reasonable accommodation measures: the EESC therefore recommends widespread dissemination of the guide Reasonable Accommodation at Work – Guidance and Good Practice (published in May 2024), which can help both raise awareness and increase skills in this field.

Avoiding segregation

Another crucial aspect covered by the opinion is the need to collect (quantitative and qualitative) data and improve benchmarking efforts in order to better pinpoint good practices and help compare models and services implemented by public employment services in EU countries. Data collection should also focus on sheltered employment, in order to better grasp how widespread this practice is.

The EESC sees sheltered employment as a form of segregation: a status that denies disabled persons genuine entry into the open labour market, making it impossible for them to directly and fully contribute to society as full-fledged EU citizens. This is why the Committee encourages Member States to move away from the "sheltered employment" model and promote "inclusive work", judging that sheltered work should become "a thing of the past" and be gradually phased out over time.

Advances in technology and AI

The EESC opinion also covers recent technological advances, especially advances in the field of  Artificial Intelligence (AI), which could help persons with disabilities participate in the open market. This means policies aimed at making such advances more widely known should be created. These policies could focus on promoting the potential, accessibility and affordability of AI and related technological services when it comes to helping persons with disabilities contribute to the labour market and express their full potential in the workplace.