Policy recommendations

Reform the legal and policy systems, beginning with ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and continuing with review and amendment of national laws related to the right to work, including Law 220, to conform with the Convention. This should be complemented by regulations, decrees and budget allocations to facilitate implementation.

Promote inclusive employment among public and private employers. Employers should consider inclusion and diversity as part of their social and economic mission. They should also seek to eliminate barriers related to workplace and work conditions by providing necessary accommodations and ensure that their policies are not discriminatory against persons with disabilities. Furthermore, employers should develop training materials and guides to help build their knowledge regarding employing persons with disabilities. Matchmaking, recruitment and follow-up services should be provided for employers and persons with disabilities alike.

Invest in raising awareness. This will first entail improving persons with disabilities’ knowledge of their rights and their capacity to demand them. Second, it will require raising awareness among the families of persons with disabilities to not be excessively protective and instead allow their family members with disabilities, especially women, to work. Third, it can involve gender mainstreaming and empowering women with disabilities with leadership skills to demand and defend their rights, especially the right to work. Fourth, it can include media campaigns for the employment of persons with disabilities, as part of a culture of inclusiveness that treats persons with disabilities as a core, indispensable element of society.

Strengthen coordination mechanisms. This includes partnering with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), at the local and national levels. Joint projects should be supported between the National Employment Corporation and OPDs, and civil society more broadly, to establish inclusive pilot programmes within public and private institutions. Coordination should also extend to international organizations, which have access to global best practices and knowledge.