In this episode, Real Economy travels to Poland and Spain, ’, to meet women who have broken barriers to the disabled at work, and asks Helena Dalli’, the European Commissioner for Equality, what measures have been taken.
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Around 87 million people in Europe ’ have some kind of disability, and many of us will face some kind of disability throughout our lives, whether it's due to an accident, illness, or aging.
Having a job is one of the best ways to achieve independence and social inclusion; Only people with disabilities .8’i is working, while non-disabled people have this rate %It is 75’.
from Spain: increase business opportunities
SpainThe number of people with disabilities entering the job market in ’ has increased by more than 20’ per cent over the past six years, in part thanks to public funding and programs.
Twenty-three-year-old Alicia ’ has a hearing impairment. Recently, after completing the ‘ Digital Talent ’ training program, he started to work as an Application tester.
Alicia, “, I can't concentrate when my colleagues are talking, so they gave me a quiet place to work. That means I have fewer headaches now. They also want to buy me noise-reducing headphones, ” says.
Alicia’'s state-owned company, Tragsa Group, has adopted a social integration plan designed to meet everyone's needs.
Tragsa Group project manager Ana Belén Blanco del Campo explains what the company prioritizes.
“I think the key to the job is a good communication between the business manager and the employee about the job they are doing and what they may need. The company must reflect what society really is. - ”
The “ Digital Talent ” program aims to provide trainees with the latest skills in new technologies. David Alonso is responsible for the foundation's professional integration program.
“We are taking advantage of the huge gap in the job market, educating people who will be as productive as a non-disabled person, ” says.
‘Digital TalentThe ’ programme is partly funded by the European Social Fund. In 2021, he helped train more than 5000’ young people. It is planned to open new courses in the field of advanced technologies in the future.
Alicia says she now feels completely part of the labor market. This is one of the top priorities for the European Pillar of Social Rights, which aims to help more people like him find jobs.
PolandAt ’, we meet a woman who is groundbreaking for equality in the workplace. Monika Jankowska-Rangelov is an expert on diversity and integration of people with disabilities into the workplace, who have lived with their own disabilities all their lives.
“, I have a driving disability, I was sick when I was two. My general disease is dermatomyositis, which causes restrictions on movement, but it also brings with it internal diseases in me, says ”.
Monika says going to college is the key to entering the job market. But when it comes to higher education, many people with disabilities don't get that chance.
In Europe, only 30 percent of people with disabilities receive a diploma, while 40 percent of those without a diploma receive a diploma.
“I was lucky that my parents told me that I couldn't work physically all the time, that I had to work with my mind. I was planning on graduating from Pedagogical University, but I couldn't access it in terms of urban transportation, says ”.
Monika, a language graduate, says she's finally found her dream job after a lot of work. But even though many companies are open to employing a disabled person, another hurdle many people face when trying to find a job is the fear that they may lose their disability benefits.
“I think it would be very useful to remove the limits because I have a lot of expenses, for example, for my monthly medications. Even if I'm working, it's always hard to cover all the expenses.
Monika believes that improving financial support, disability access and social integration in the workplace is vital to breaking down barriers in the future.
“I think education is the key to being inclusive among all employees and to thinking about other people as if they were thinking about themselves. There are more and more people with disabilities around us, and they, like me, deserve really great opportunities at work, to be active and live their lives to the fullest.”
Europe’'s disability strategy
Last year, the European Commission adopted the Disability Rights Strategy, which identifies initiatives supporting the right to independent living and equal participation in all areas of life.
The Real Economy met with EU’'s Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli to find out more about what is being done at European level.
According to Euronews:Why are we still in a situation where people with disabilities face so many obstacles to entering the workplace?“
European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said:“Where to start? This is a problem we really need to address. People with disabilities face a lot of problems when it comes to entering the job market, or even starting earlier, for example, their education and access to education. So we really need to look at this reality from the perspective of the rest of society, what is it doing to ensure that its citizens can enter the job market? Employers should provide a reasonable arrangement for people with disabilities.”
According to Euronews:“What is the European Commission doing to overcome these obstacles?”
European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said:“We have a disability strategy. And in this strategy, we address the issue we're talking about here. So there is the disability employment package where we talk about the necessity of this reasonable regulation and how to encourage and help people with disabilities enter the labor market. And we have a disability platform where different organizations meet and share good practices. I care about meeting people with disabilities because they are experts in their own reality. And we share what we've learned with social partners, and this conversation continues.”
