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This study draws on a number of nationally representative data sources to provide a clear and timely examination of the current labour market situation of people with disabilities and the dynamics of disability and labour market participation over time. In it provides detailed statistical analysis of the impact of disability on labour market participation and places the Irish data in a comparative European context.

Funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the European Union under the National Development Plan, 2000 - 2006.

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5. Employment guidance services for people with disabilities. Guidance

The number of people on long-term disability benefits in Europe is rising and this group is particularly at risk of social exclusion. Although many of those away from work for a long period due to illness or injury would like to rejoin the workforce, very few actually do so in practice. This situation means that potential workers are absent from the labour market and there is pressure on social security systems. One of the key strategies for reversing this trend and helping long-term benefit claimants to return to work is a system of effective employment guidance and counselling services. By looking at case studies in 10 Member States, this report identifies examples of good practice in employment services for people who have become disability claimants in the course of their working lives. It concludes that there is overall a lack of awareness of the specific needs of people on longterm disability benefits and a need for a wider range of initiatives specially targeted at this group.

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6. Towards Best Practice in the Provision of Further Education, Employment and Training Services for People with Disabilities in Ireland. Online report

In January 2004, the National Disability Authority launched a series called "Towards Best Practice………" on three of the NDA's priority areas: Further Education Training and Employment, Health and Transport.

This series emerged from an evidence shortfall including a lack of baseline level of statistics on the lives and experience of people with disabilities. The NDA had previously acknowledged that this lack of information had hindered service planning and development.

The three reports provide information on the following:

Policy and legislation underpinning service provision, development, planning and monitoring
Range and quantum of health services in Ireland
International good practice in health and social care services for people with disabilities.
Findings, conclusions and recommendations

The recommendations address common areas of concern that include:

national policy
legislation and regulation standards and guidelines
accessibility issues

http://www.nda.ie/

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7. Embrace Diversity

Diversity@Work targets all people who are interested in integrating diverse groups into the workplace. Funded by the Leonardo programme, the site provides:

Information on a wide range of policies and practices at both the European and National Level.
Training via our e-learning modules which provide an introductory understanding of the key issues involved in Managing Diversity in the Workplace.

Diversity Management Toolkit that provides the necessary tools to design and implement Diversity Management policies in your workplace.

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8. EQUINEX
Diversity: a driver for Employment
The Equinex Development Partnership is a Welsh EQUAL partnership to address some of the inequalities and barriers faced by disadvantaged people when trying to access employment, training and educational opportunities. The project worked transnationally with Estonia and Ireland. This transnational cooperation presented an opportunity to explore practices of teleworking in three Member States to establish what has worked well and to learn from what has not worked well.
The full report (Comparative Study of the Concept and Practice of Tele-working in Estonia, Ireland and Wales-UK) is available to download from: http://www.equinex.newport.ac.uk

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9. Employment for People with Learning Disabilities. Publication

Published by ARC, issue July 2004.

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10. Vocational Improvement Pipeline Project

A two-years (2005-2007) Leonardo da Vinci project whose main aims are:

vocational pipeline development and support of disabled people into open employment
meeting the needs of employers in the targeted vocational sectors
promoting the mainstreaming of equality of opportunity amongst employers and raise their knowledge and understanding of diversity management practices through social dialogue, training and support
create a multi- lingual, on-line knowledge

Http://www.vipp-org.eu

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11. OPTIWORK - Improving Disabled People's Employment Prospects

Opti-work is a three year project, undertaken by a consortium of ten partners, together with the support of national contact centres in fifteen countries. The project aimed to obtain some insights into the effectiveness of existing legislation and policies concerning opportunities for employment by people with disabilities. It comprised the development of models and tools to help support policy makers in making decisions regarding investments in strategies and/or legislation intended to help facilitate the more active participation in the labour market of this target group.

http://www.optiwork.org

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12. IBB - Inclusive Training for Disability Care Workers - Educational Assistants

A three-years project on an innovative teaching technique which allows people with learning disabilities to be included in mainstream education. It created and tested a curriculum which allows people with special needs to participate and gain qualifications in the field of disability care as first line workers.

Http://www-deis.cit.ie/ibb

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13. Jobwards - Modules to further key competences

Jobwards is an international project of the European Union vocational training action programme Leonardo da Vinci. Main result of this project are 100 modules to further the key competencies of people with learning disabilities.

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14. Communication from the European Commission on the situation of disabled people in the European Union: the European Action Plan 2008 - 2009

This is the new Communication issues by the Commission on the next steps to be undertaken in order to improve the situation of people with disabilities in the European Union.

The Communication pays particular attention to the employment situation of disabled persons.

The full text of the Communication can be found under the link previously mentioned.

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15. Roadmap for more and better jobs for people with disabilities

A document which contains guidelines and a series of measures that support better employment for people with disabilities.

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16. UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and Employment (Art.27)

In December 2006, an agreement was reached in New York on the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which will become binding for all those ratifying the Convention. It gives greater rights and freedoms for disabled people and recognises at international level that disability is a human right issue. Through it’s Art. 27 (Work and employment) the Convention underlines the need of employment for people with disabilities on the same basis as others. This includes the right to have the opportunity to work and gain a living in a work environment that is inclusive. Countries should prohibit discrimination in job related matters, promote self-employment, entrepreneurship and starting one’s own business, employ persons with disabilities in the public sector, promote their employment in the private sector, and ensure that they are provided with reasonable accommodation at work. They should equally focus on the persons’ abilities and NOT on their disabilities.

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