[Excerpt] This campaign is just a beginning and we hope that you will be able to play your part in working with us and others who feel like us that want to see people with disabilities experiencing no disadvantage in obtaining work and employment and developing careers of their choice

Fletcher, Ray

RI Work & Employment Commission

English

DigitalCommons@ILR

 
 
              
 
Included @ Work
 
 
 
 
A Global Campaign initiated and promoted 
by  
RI’s Work & Employment Commission 
 
 
 
 
 
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
                                                                                                    
Commencing August 2005 
 
 
 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
1 
Welcome to RI’s “Included @ Work” Campaign. 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
2 
 
This campaign is just a beginning and we hope that you will 
be able to play your part in working with us and others who 
feel like us that want to see people with disabilities 
experiencing no disadvantage in obtaining work and 
employment and developing careers of their choice. 
 
Being able to opt to work or not to work and to choose what 
job we do is fundamental to our economic prosperity and 
choices about our lifestyle.  
 
Yet this fundamental part of life is denied to millions of 
people with disabilities across the world because of 
prejudices and barriers in society as well as amongst 
governments and employers. 
 
Our campaign seeks to raise the profile of this issue and 
urges members of RI in all countries as well as our friends in 
organisations of persons with disabilities, organisations 
representing persons with disabilities, labour unions, and 
service providers to establish initiatives and campaigns in 
their own country or state to change this situation once and 
for all. 
 
It is consistently the case that in every country in the world 
people with disability are significantly less likely to be in paid 
employment or in the world of work than any other category 
of person in that country. 
 
This situation is additionally emphasised and when disability 
is linked to poverty and socially disadvantaged and 
discriminatory situations such as race, gender, and single 
parents.  
 
This applies even in those countries where disability 
discrimination legislation is in place and our campaign seeks 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
3 
to change attitudes of society and the labour market through 
establishing a higher profile of this unacceptable situation 
and prompting governments and key players in the labour 
market to take positive and urgent action to right this 
injustice. 
 
There is evidence that the barriers to entering the world of 
work relates not only to prejudices in the labour market but 
also in the routes to work such as education systems where 
people with disabilities are significantly less likely to acquire 
the same level of qualification as people without disabilities 
 
There is clear evidence that the creation of jobs and 
opportunities for work increases economic prosperity both 
for states and for individuals. The longer people with 
disabilities are excluded from this economic process the 
longer people with disabilities will be disadvantaged and 
discriminated against and there is a significant need for 
governments and/or states to invest financially in enabling 
people with disabilities to work. 
 
People with disabilities often find themselves separated from 
the labour market by well meaning medical professionals 
who discount opportunities to embrace the possibility of work 
and paid employment as part of a process of moving to and 
achieving full inclusion in society. Failure to recognise and 
seize these opportunities more often than not leads to 
significant economic and social exclusion of people with 
disabilities. 
 
Access to work for all will require the removal of barriers to 
the world of work in every sense including changes in 
societal attitudes, transport facilities as well as those areas 
already identified.  
This is a major task and if significant change is to be 
achieved across the world we need to mobilise resources in 
a concerted and organised manner. 
 
This “Included @ Work” campaign sets out to achieve 
positive change for people with disabilities everywhere and 
we seek your support. 
 
 
RI WORK & EMPLOYMENT COMMISION 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
4 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
5 
What are calling for in the “Included @ Work” Campaign? 
 
Governmental Changes & Publicity 
 
? We call on national and state governments to urgently 
install and invest in more and expanded programmes and 
processes that offer people with disabilities an acceptable 
route to the world of work and which enhances each 
individual’s economic independence and freedom of choice 
 
? We call on national and state governments to recognise 
the facts associated with the disenfranchisement of people 
with disabilities in the world of work and to invest 
substantially in programmes, processes and policies for the 
benefit of all 
 
? We call on all public sector, voluntary sector, 
government departments, membership organisations and 
any other organisations who care about this issue to 
publicise this cause and take actions which seek to change 
the status quo in favour of equality for people for disabilities 
 
? We call for the removal of a patronising and 
condescending approach to this issue that is not based on 
charity or hand outs but on the recognition of the positive 
contribution that people with disabilities can make to the 
community and economic prosperity  
 
? We call for legislative changes to be made in all 
states/nations which ensure that people with disabilities are 
not discriminated against in the world of work 
 
Labour Market Changes & Routes to Work 
 
? We call on key players in labour markets to recognise 
the significant contribution that people with disabilities will 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
6 
make to improving commercial performance of enterprises 
if given the chance 
 
? We call on employers not only to employ disabled 
people but to ensure that there are no differences in people 
policies at work particularly with regard to opportunities to 
progress careers and managed self development. 
 
? In addition to seeking national and state legislative 
changes we also call on organisations in the labour market 
to work together in partnership to remove all barriers to 
work and employment as quickly as practicable 
 
? We call on service providers and other organisations to 
press for and implement flexible and non dogmatic support 
systems and processes which fit the needs of each and 
every person with a disability who wants to work or who 
wishes to stay in work 
 
? We call on service providers in the field of work and 
employment to ensure that people with disabilities are 
involved and included in the provision of services to ensure 
that services provided are relevant and appropriate 
 
? We call for healthcare processes that do not write off 
people with disabilities but instead see a route to 
employment and economic growth as a means of 
establishing individual self esteem and social inclusion. 
 
? We call for education systems and processes that 
provide direct routes and connections to work and 
employment particularly for young people with disabilities. 
 
 
 
 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
7 
What are the Aims of the “Included @ Work” Campaign? 
 
? Our aim is to enrol every RI member organisation in 
supporting this campaign and to work to establish 
individual country/state actions to achieve change in favour 
of equality for people with disabilities who want to work 
 
? Our aim is to double the number of people with 
disabilities who are in work in every country inside of ten 
years  
 
? Our aim is to ensure that in every country in the world 
there is equal treatment of people with disabilities in the 
world of work within twenty years  
 
An immediate Timetable for Achieving Progress in the 
“Included @ Work” Campaign? 
 
2005/6 – We will know that at least one RI member in every 
member country will support the campaign 
 
2006/7 – We will have established “Champions” of the 
Campaign in at least100 countries 
 
2007/8 – We will have formed “Partnerships for Change” 
with at least twenty other International organisations to 
support and/or promote the campaign 
 
2008/9 – We will hold a global conference involving all our 
“Champions” and “ International Partners” to assess what 
progress has been achieved and what else needs to be 
done 
 
 
 
 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
8 
How can you help to promote the “Included @ Work” 
Campaign? 
 
? Ensure that there are local and national campaigns 
which call for equality of treatment for people with 
disabilities in accessing work and whilst at work 
 
? Set targets for the full inclusion of people with 
disabilities in the world of work in your country or state. We 
should aim to reach a point where people with disabilities 
experience the same level of employment/unemployment 
as people without disabilities 
 
? Form active partnerships with like minded organisations 
to increase the weight of opinion and pressure within local 
and national communities for positive change 
 
? Lobby politicians at all levels to raise the profile of this 
issue and seek commitments from them to establish 
processes that positively change the attitude of the state to 
the employment of people with disabilities 
 
? Press for legislation that outlaws discrimination in the 
world of work and seek to establish back up mechanisms 
that ensure this legislation is acted upon and working to 
the advantage of people with disabilities 
 
? Enlist labour unions to include the employment of 
people with disabilities as a priority in their policies and 
actions and to press for the removal of barriers to work in 
the workplace through such mechanisms as workplace 
audits 
 
? Encourage employers and organisations representing 
employers to positively promote policies and activities that 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
9 
achieve the employment and development of people with 
disabilities in and at work 
 
? Encourage the development of financial and business 
development support mechanisms which actively 
encourage people with disabilities who wish to become 
self employed to start up businesses and enterprises 
 
? Establish joint groups at local and national level with 
amongst others: labour unions; employers; service 
providers and organisations representing people with 
disabilities to place work and employment higher on their 
agenda and form action plans for change 
 
? Engage with organisations that represent employers to 
increase their awareness of the capabilities of people with 
disability and the contribution people with disabilities can 
make to improve their businesses especially by 
understanding and reflecting their customer base 
 
? Establish links with those in the world of education at all 
levels to ensure they understand issues affecting people 
with disability in the world of work and seek to establish 
action plans that provide enabling support from education 
to work particularly for young people with disabilities  
 
? Establish projects and processes that encourage self 
advocacy amongst people with disabilities to support their 
aims to enter the world of work. Encourage self advocacy 
and representation when in work. 
 
? Establish links with health services to increase 
awareness of the potential for embracing work in all its 
forms as part of a process of health recovery and personal 
development 
 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
10 
? Work and cooperate with higher education 
establishments to produce validated research to support 
the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of 
work 
 
? Press for national and state governments to take a lead 
in setting and achieving targets to employ people with 
disabilities as a form of leadership to the rest of the labour 
market. We should not limit ourselves to “quotas” that may 
already exist – if for example it is estimated that 15% of a 
country’s population are people with disabilities then 
governments and public authorities should look to employ 
at least 15% people with disabilities in their workforce 
 
? Work with partners and governments to establish 
reliable statistics and data regarding the level of 
employment/unemployment of people with disabilities for 
monitoring and publicising this issue 
 
? Establish national and state level monitoring processes 
that regularly highlight progress in achieving the full 
inclusion of people with disabilities in the world of work  
 
? Encourage national and state governments to 
recognise that investment in processes and policies that 
open up routes to the world of work for people with 
disabilities will provide a positive return to the community 
in terms of increased individual economic and social 
inclusion and contribution 
 
? Involve national and local media and press in the issue 
encouraging them to raise the profile of the exclusion of 
people with disabilities from the world of work. Find 
examples of how this is manifested and publicise it. 
 
                                         ------------------------------------------ 
                                              ---------------------------------- 
RI is a global network promoting and implementing the rights, inclusion and 
rehabilitation of people with disabilities                       www.riglobal.org 
11 
 
GOOD LUCK – LETS 
CHANGE THE STATUS 
QUO! 
 
PEOPLE WITH 
DISABILITIES ARE 
ENTITLED TO EQUAL 
TREATMENT IN THE 
WORLD OF WORK – 
NOTHING LESS 
 
 
[NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY:  Throughout this paper I have used the term “People with 
Disabilities” as this seems to be the most prevalent term in most RI member countries. In 
applying the campaign in various countries it is recognised that in some countries for 
example the terms “Disabled People “or “Persons with Disabilities “or “Citizens with 
Disabilities” are preferred and should be used accordingly.] 
 
 
Ray Fletcher 
riukorg@tiscali.co.uk
On behalf of RI’s Work & Employment Commission 
August 2005 


Included @ Work: A Global Campaign

https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1278&amp;context=gladnetcollect

Included @ Work: A Global Campaign

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