Minutes
1st workshop of WorkAbility project
Promoting employment and entrepreneurship of people with disability
Tuesday, 26 April 2016
Foyer, Aristotle University Research Dissemination Center (KEDEA)
The first WorkAbility workshop was implemented, on Tuesday the 26th of April, at the Aristotle University Research Dissemination Center (KEDEA, Foyer).
During the workshop, representatives from the Transport Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (TSRG/ AUTh) and the Professionals’ Chamber of Thessaloniki (PCTh), as well as representatives of associations of people with disability, participated in a round table on employment of people with disability.
The main topics discussed were the following:
1) Good and bad practices – examples of enterprises
The participants described their own experiences and pointed out certain difficulties or obstacles concerning employment of people with disability.
2) Consulting and supporting people with disability on their vocational employment and rehabilitation
The participants stressed the need for developing appropriate programmes on employment consultancy that will prepare people with disability for the labor market. In the framework of WorkAbility project an accessible online “platform” will be developed, which will provide information to people with disability on job vacancies and will allow them to upload their CV.
3) Disability allowance policies and employment
People with disability and representatives of associations of people with disabilities pointed out that people with disability are willing to find a job but in most cases the salary is much lower than the allowance they get. All participants agreed that allowance polices should thus not be connected with employment.
4) Obstacles concerning the employment of people with disability
Unemployed people with disability talked about the difficulties they have in finding a job. In addition, people with disability who have a job described the obstacles they face at their workplace.
5) Recommendations on promoting employment in the project framework
The participants expressed their views and ideas towards improving the employment of people with disability. The representatives of AUTh and PCTh provided the following recommendations:
- Development of three videos presenting the special needs and qualifications of people with disability
- Development of a brochure for the awareness raising of employers on disability issues
- Organization of informative events and workshops for enterprises concerning the employment of people with disability
