The European Commission presents the Disability Employment Package

The European Commission presents the Disability Employment Package

On 20th September the European Commission presented the Disability Employment Package during the conference on Integration of People with Disabilities into the Labour Market organised by the Czech presidency of the Council of the EU. The package is a flagship initiative of the EU Disability Strategy and aims to help Member States to improve labour market outcome for people with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy social inclusion and economic autonomy through employment.

The package covers six main areas: strengthening the capacities of employment and integration services, promoting hiring perspectives through affirmative action and combating stereotypes, ensuring reasonable accommodation at work, preventing disabilities associated with chronic diseases, securing vocational rehabilitation schemes in case of sickness or accidents and exploring quality jobs in sheltered employment and pathways to the open labour market. At least one concrete initiative is planned for every area.

One planned initiative has already been launched, a toolkit on how public employment services can improve the labour market for people with disabilities, more information here.

EPR will be working with members and partners to feed into the different initiatives, through the Task Force on Pathways to Employment, Policy Working Group and Disability Management Working Group. EPR’s upcoming public affairs event will provide an opportunity to discuss the package with the Commission.

>> Find more information about the package here.