CONTEXT Disability from light to severe affects one in six people in the European Union, about 80 million people that often do not have the possibility to participate fully in social and economic life due to behavioral and environmental barriers. Too many people whit disabilities feel remote from their communities, civil institutions and policies that affect their daily and future lives. The poverty rate relating to persons with disabilities it is 70% higher than the average, partly due to limited access to employment. The full participation of people with disabilities in society and the economy is crucial if the EU wants to ensure the success of the Europe 2020 strategy. As regards the general quality of life perceived by people with disabilities, the Eurofound survey shows that the degree to which they feel isolated from society varies considerably depending on whether they have an occupation or not. Those who are employed report much less frequently than they feel excluded from society than long-term unemployed respondents or those who are unable to work because of disability. OBJECTIVES The project aims to: - provide new skills to disabled people that can be spent in the world of work - to encourage and support public authorities, companies, associations, etc, to include persons with disabilities in their staff - equip new tools and skills to workers, in order to be able to work side by side with people with disabilities - promote equity and inclusion - promote innovation in the training sector - contribute to achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy - contribute to the promotion of European values under Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union - Sensitize society to disability issues and ensure that people with disabilities know their rights better and know how to exercise them. TARGET GROUP People with disabilities business consultants business executives trainers mentors coaches psychologists educators social workers stakeholders PROJECT EFE will develop an engagement and participation tool co-designed by people whit disability, Staff of the participating organizations, Workers, psychologists, educators, social workers, to create ‘Work Days’. Events that enable people whit disabilities to ‘take over’ for one day service in a local authority, associations, company or other public or private institution. Their purpose is to engage people whit disabilities and raise their awareness of the roles that these institutions play in EU democracy as well as in their own lives as active citizens. The project will develop practical and theoretical tools to support disabled people in the workplace. The intent of the partnership is to go beyond the conventional approach, trying to provide useful tools not only for the disabled but also for workers (colleagues), host organizations (companies, public bodies, associations, etc), in order to obtain a real and concrete integration of the disabled person in the workplace. The tools will be elaborated, developed and co-designed thanks to the involvement and participation of experts dealing with disabilities, companies, public bodies, NGOs, workers and the disabled and will be tested in all partner countries and during training. The project will develop 4 main Intellectual Outputs: O1 EFE Guidebook of Inclusion Good Practices Performing extended research on best practices and initiatives regarding strategies promoted within the companies, in order to change the characteristics of the work environment through the recruitment, inclusion, and promotion of workers who are an expression of the diversity present in society. O2 Work Days Kit Work Days Kit will be divided into three sections: The first section for host organizations will support organizations that offer jobs (companies, SMEs, public institutions, NGOs, etc) that need theoretical and practical tools to include people with disabilities in the workplace. The second section for support staff will support workers that need theoretical and practical tools to develop real teamwork and become a support, a point of reference, for workers with disabilities in the workplace. Third section for people with disabilities. To be better integrated into the workplace, people with disabilities who want to work need specific and transversal knowledge and practical theoretical tools ready for use. O3 EFE_E-learning platform The e-learning platform of the project will be a core component since it will support the end-users and beneficiaries of the project to increase and develop further their educational and development needs. O4 EFE_ICT tool The main aim of the O4 is to ensure the identification and diagnosis of the needed competencies of the beneficiaries of the project by the ICT tool (internet version). IMPACT * acquire skills and tools to work; * a broader understanding of disabled people’s needs and how to address them; * gain access to new informal learning and participatory methods through the project.
The project developed practical and theoretical tools for supporting people with disabilities at work. The intention of the partnership was to go beyond the conventional approach, trying to provide useful tools not only to people with disabilities but also to workers (colleagues), and host organizations(companies, public bodies, associations, etc.), in order to achieve a real and concrete integration of the disabled person in the workplace. The tools designed, developed and co-designed with the involvement and participation of disability experts, companies, public bodies, NGOs, workers and people with disabilities were tested in all partner countries. During LTTA international training, the partnership and participants were able to know different training, working methods, and cultural conditions. They passed the new knowledge to a significant number of other stakeholders. Each person's entry into a company is a process of a personalized approach to work and to the specific culture that distinguishes a single organization. The role played in the world of work contributes to defining the social identity of the person, and also, for this reason, job placement is an important phase in the life of each of us.
The project addresses the reported needs of people with disabilities who have few opportunities because they are in poverty and lack key skills and competencies. Many are marginalized, which can lead to loss of motivation, mental health problems and sometimes extremism. The need for training on the part of both workers and host organizations and the need for greater awareness and information of employers on disability issues. Experts working with disabled people (psychologists, educators, social workers, etc.) need new practical and innovative tools to support them at work. EFE has developed theoretical and practical Work Day tools for involvement and participation responding to these target groups. The needs of the disabled people (like lack of motivation, key skills, competencies and lack of competencies) and the working reality of the partnership consortium carried out in the preliminary phase of the project was evidently showed that there is a high potential for inclusion of new contemporary approaches in working with persons with disabilities.