Approaches to Increasing Employment and Quality of Employment Among Youth with Disabilities

• In Event: Transitions from School to Work: How Barriers and Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities Vary by Context

Proposal

Under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), persons with disabilities have a right to employment in an environment that is open, inclusive, and accessible. Employment of persons with disabilities has significant benefits to both persons with disabilities themselves and, through their contributions, to their families and communities. However, although progress has been made, countries are far from achieving the goals embedded in the CRPD. Many persons with disabilities face poor working conditions, earn lower wages than their peers without disabilities, experience forms of harassment in the workplace, or are excluded from the labor market altogether.

This presentation provides an overview of the context, barriers, and practices related to approaches that increase employment and quality of employment among youth with disabilities, primarily in lower- and middle-income countries. Though the definition of youth varies, this report focuses on youth ages 15-29. It draws on existing literature, activity reports, and consultations with practitioners and individuals with disabilities. In particular, this report provides an outline of different types of barriers to quality employment that youth with disabilities may face and identifies a range of promising approaches that may help address those barriers. Approaches include those related to attitudes and misconceptions; skills, knowledge, and access to resources; workplace accessibility, accommodations, and safety; and regulations. Policy measures, case studies, and interviews with youth with disabilities are used to explore these approaches. In many cases, research and data are still needed to determine the effectiveness of approaches in different contexts and with different populations, and further piloting of these approaches is encouraged.

Authors

• Amy Mulcahy-Dunn, EnCompass LLC

• Emma Venetis, EnCompass LLC