Table of contents:
Handout: Good Practices in Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Below are some of the tips and ideas that have been identified and used in promoting the employment of persons with disabilities.
- Raise general society awareness of the work potential and right to employment of persons with disabilities through understanding the policy environment, identifying the most effective strategies for raising awareness, and through providing support and training to enable employers to recognize the potential of persons with disabilities.
- Raise awareness among potential employers and provide information to them on disability inclusion and the benefits of a diverse workforce.
- Devise specific disability-inclusive recruitment strategies and encourage different employment sectors to recruit persons with disabilities.
- Set targets for employing persons with disabilities (a frequent affirmative action strategy used in the public and private sector in many countries) and monitor and evaluate the targets.
- Encourage persons with disabilities to apply.
- Ensure that candidates with disabilities are considered in the recruitment process by delaying job interviews until candidates with disabilities are short- listed.
- Invest in skills development to advance mainstream employment of persons with disabilities.
- Mobilization of persons with disabilities in training and awareness-raising directed at combatting disability discrimination in employment.
- Introduce technical support and job coaching as strategies for promoting and advocating for employment of persons with disabilities.
- Build relationships with employers and facilitate the acquisition of training of persons with disabilities to match the skills demanded.
- Support workers with disabilities in retaining employment through the use of existing support networks and ensuring ongoing support through job coaches and business mentors.