Employment and disability
Niamh Fawl
Policy and Public Affairs, NDA
Outline
• Role of the NDA
• Facts and Figures
• National Disability Strategy
• Interlinked Policy Instruments
• Comprehensive Employment Strategy
• Conclusion
The NDA
The National Disability Authority provides
independent expert advice to the
Government on policy and practice, as the
lead state agency on disability and
universal design.
Employment status of pwd
Census 2006
Aged 20-64
Principal economic status
At work
Unemployed
Student
Home/family
Retired
Unable to work due to illness/disability
Other
73,000
15,000
6,000
20,000
11,000
81,000
2,000
35%
8%
2%
10%
5%
39%
1%
Low participation in work
• 35% of people with disabilities have a job v. 74%
of others (Census 2006)
• 60% of people with disabilities not working are
restricted in type or amount of work they can do
• Low qualifications add to disadvantage
Employment and disability
Census 2006
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
others
p.w.d
physical
sensory
ID
m.health
Chr
illness
Employers and Disability
• 88% of companies say they do not employ
anyone with a disability
• Only 5% employers have accommodated a staff
member with disabilities
• Over half don’t know about employer help
• Minimal take-up of FÁS supports especially job
retention
National Disability Strategy
Employment and disability commitments
• A comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities
• 7,000 more in work
• Cross-departmental co-operation across Enterprise, Trade and
Innovation; Education and Skills; Health; Social Protection
• Specific commitments
– enhance supported employment
– bridge between HSE and mainstream training
– systematic process of engagement with people with disabilities to
establish employment aspirations
• 3% target mandatory under Part 5 Disability Act
FÁS supports for pwd
No. of participants 2006-2008
Programme
2006
2007
2008
TOTAL
Wage Subsidy Scheme
141
191
191
523
Supported Employment
Programme
*700
865
849
2,414
FÁS Mainline Training
380
334
296
1,010
Specialist Training
433
447
383
1,263
1, 654
1, 837
1,719
5,210
TOTAL
*Estimated figure
National Disability Strategy Targets
Employment and disability
• Dept of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA), Sectoral Plan
2006–2009:
• Disability Activation Project - develop comprehensive
employment strategy on individual case management
basis with pwd on disability payments
• Interdepartmental implementation team + HSE, FÁS,
NDA, VECs
• Started September 2008
• To date: 14 training programmes, 170 participants
completed
Linked policy commitments
• National Development Plan 2007-2013
– participation in education, training and employment up 50%
– proportion at work up from 37% to 45% (QNHS)
• Towards 2016: High level goals
– elaboration of Comprehensive Employment Strategy
• National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2013
– increase pwds’ participation in society and employment by service
provision and activation measures
Comprehensive employment strategy
NDA report - Key pillars
• Make work pay, remove benefit traps
• Equip pwd to compete in labour market now and future
• Enlist public and private sector employers
• Prevent flow into inactivity
– School leavers
– People acquiring a disability
• Systematic process of engagement
• Comprehensive across individuals and levels of ability
Supported employment
Almost 4% of workers with a disability
• Two separate state-funded arrangements
• FÁS scheme
– In principle 18+ hours a week
– c. 900 in work; 1,100 in job assessment/job search phases
• HSE-funded supported employment
– Less than 18 hours a week; typically ½ day -1 day a week
– c.1,000 receiving HSE or service provider job coach support
Part 5 Disability Act
• Legal obligations on public bodies to
– Promote and support employment of people with disabilities
– Achieve 3% target of employees with a disability
• People with ID under-represented in the public service
relative to other employments
• Good models of partnership with local disability services
and supported employment consortia could be built on
• Small bodies that find it hardest to reach 3% could use
supported employment work experience placements
Employment Equality Acts
1998; 2004
• Employer duty to take appropriate measures to
ensure pwd can access and carry out their work;
participate in training, unless measures impose
disproportionate burden on employer
Employment Equality Acts
1998; 2004
• Appropriate measures:
– Adaptation of work premises or equipment, patterns of
working time, distribution of tasks or provision of
training
• Disproportionate burden:
– Financial or other costs
– The resources of the business
Joined-up thinking
• Importance of dovetailing policies in HSE, D/Enterprise and D/Social
Protection
• HSE review of Adult Day Services
• Opportunity for mainstream alternatives to segregated sheltered work
• Review of Supported Employment programmes
• Earnings disregard for DA of 50% of earnings between €120 and
€350 a week
• Review of DA; Disability Activation programme
• Commitment in Government programme on medical card continuation
Recent developments
• Cabinet reshuffle & restructuring March 2010
• More streamlined joined up approach:
• Most recent Social Welfare Bill 2010, transfer of
employment and community services and staff to the
Department of Social Protection
• Opportunity to align training/education of pwds
• Opportunity to link welfare support and support pathways
to work
Conclusion
• New developments = possible new opportunities for:
• Integrated streamlined provision of supports for people
with disabilities by Depts and HSE
• Planning for the economic upturn by outcome-based
training for people with disabilities
• Implementation of the Comprehensive Employment
Strategy
Some References
•
National Disability Strategy
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/NDS.pdf/files/NDS.pdf
•
National Development Plan 2007-2013
http://www.ndp.ie/documents/ndp2007-2013/NDP-2007-2013-English.pdf
•
Towards 2016
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/Towards2016Partnership
Agreement.pdf
•
National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2013
http://www.socialinclusion.ie/documents/NAPinclusionReportPDF.pdf