Introduction

The commitment to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and promote their effective participation in the social life has occupied a central position in the United Nations Development Agenda since 1982, when the international community adopted the World Programme of Action (WPA) concerning Disabled Persons.[1]  A number of instruments, frameworks and resolutions have followed at international and regional levels to support the main theme of WPA, namely, equalization of opportunities; and to advocate a rights-based approach to disability. With the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 3 May 2008, which constitutes the first legally binding human rights treaty that is specific to disability issues, a turning point was reached in the lives and status of persons with disabilities.[2]  Globally and regionally, countries are gradually amending existing disability laws, policies and services, or are enacting new ones aimed at protecting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities and at ensuring their full and equal opportunities in terms of education, health, training, employment and participation.

Persons with disabilities constitute one of the world’s largest untapped minority groups.  They make up an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s population, or some 650 million people.[3]  The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 470 million people in the working-age bracket have some kind of disability.[4]  In some countries, unemployment among this group could be as high as 80 per cent.[5]  In light of these facts, there is a growing interest in the costs of excluding persons with disabilities from the development sectors, particularly from the economic activity. The disability debate has shifted beyond the perceived cost associated with providing treatment and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, towards ensuring that persons with disabilities are able to earn a decent living and contribute to national development. It is estimated that the gross domestic product (GDP) loss owing to disability is approximately $2 trillion worldwide.[6]  A recent study in ten developing countries in Asia and Africa found that the price of excluding persons with disabilities from work resulted in economic losses in the range of 3-5 per cent of GDP.[7]

The extra costs resulting from disabilities, such as those incurred by medical treatment, care providers and special equipment, can put persons with disabilities and their families at an economic disadvantage. In addition, excluding persons with disabilities from income-generating activities can be aggravated by an opportunity cost related to the inactivity of the family caregiver. Consequently, when provided with the right opportunities, reasonable accommodation at the workplace and adequate social protection, the employment of persons with disabilities can significantly improve their lives and that of their families as well as contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth. On the other hand, poverty can exacerbate disability outcome, thereby causing a vicious cycle of long-term disadvantage. A study by the World Bank cites that 15 to 20 per cent of the poor in developing countries have a disability and that rates could be higher in rural areas where access to health services, education and employment is limited.[8]

The issue takes a particular twist when examined from the perspective of MDGs, particularly Goal 1, which places full employment and decent work for all (including, in other words, persons with disabilities) as a prerequisite for eradicating poverty. Excluding persons with disabilities from labour markets and other development strategies will likely undermine the MDG objective of fostering an inclusive and equitable development. Against this backdrop, the General Assembly of the United Nations has called for mainstreaming the concerns of persons with disabilities in all efforts aimed at achieving MDGs, and urged all stakeholders to acknowledge them as agents and beneficiaries of development.[9]

As the title indicates, this paper maps policies and programmes aimed at enabling persons with disabilities to access employment opportunities in the ESCWA region and selected countries. While this review is not exhaustive, it attempts to take stock of good practices in generating inclusive employment, presents developments in this field and identifies areas where national capacity could be strengthened in order to ensure that persons with disabilities engage in economic activity and contribute to their communities on an equal footing with other individuals.

The paper is prepared in the context of the ongoing efforts by the United Nations in general and by ESCWA in particular aimed at the following: (a) promoting a new resolution on social integration;[10] (b) furthering the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on Social Development;[11] and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly;[12] and (c) promoting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.[13]  By sharing sound initiatives and lessons learned at the international and regional levels, this paper seeks to assist governments in the region, in cooperation with all concerned entities, in formulating, implementing and evaluating policies aimed at fighting the stigma attached to the employment of persons with disabilities and at increasing their productivity in relation to the total workforce.

Chapter I presents an overview of the disability concept and how it evolved, and notes the problems associated with the lack of consensus on the definition of disability and the limited availability of disability-related data, particularly in the ESCWA region. It provides a snapshot of the demographics and characteristics of persons with disabilities worldwide in addition to information on the prevalence and causes of disability in the ESCWA region. Chapter II highlights the major challenges facing persons with disabilities in terms of poverty, education, gender, employment, health, demographic change as well as the roles of the family and State in mitigating the effects of these challenges and in providing support and assistance.

Chapter III focuses on the principal instruments and international covenants that govern the equalization of rights for persons with disabilities and promote their integration and participation. It reviews other instruments and recommendations that specifically address the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market, and discusses a number of international approaches and good practices in this area in terms of active labour market policies, regulatory frameworks, and implementation and coordination mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on legislative instruments covering quota systems, anti-discrimination legislation and disability insurance.

Chapter IV examines the social and economic integration of persons with disabilities from a regional lens. It delves into the degree of implementing the recommendations emanating from relevant international and regional frameworks by examining such issues as political commitment and efforts made towards building an inclusive and barrier-free society. In this chapter, information is presented on legislation, policies and programmes aimed at promoting the social inclusion and employment of persons with disabilities, including, among others, disability-specific sectoral legislations, disability-specific anti-discriminatory laws and national action plans or strategies on disabilities. Equally identified, wherever available, are the national coordination mechanisms and institutional frameworks that are responsible for the design, coordination, implementation and evaluation of disability policies and programmes.

Chapter V summarizes the main lessons learned from the international and regional practices that foster the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market. It also discusses, wherever the relevant information exists, the impact of these policies and the major barriers and policy gaps that prevent their effective implementation. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to move forward with the disability and employment agenda in the ESCWA region; and underscores, among others, the need to promote equal opportunities in employment, increase the availability and accessibility of rehabilitation and training services, create an accessible working environment, improve disability insurance systems and strengthen national capacities in the design and delivery of disability policies and programmes.

While the dearth of disability statistics in the ESCWA region and the differences related to disability definitions and data collection methods impede cross-country comparison, it is hoped that the compilation of the available knowledge set forth in this study can illustrate regional trends in the development of policies, programmes and practices that favour the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market. It is worth noting that the policies and practices described in this paper do not explicitly distinguish between the different manifestations or types of disability. As such, the review describes policies for persons with disabilities in general, unless otherwise indicated.