ILO makes events for persons with disabilities

The events will also expose the barriers preventing persons with disabilities from fully participating in the labour market and highlight efforts being taken by governments, worker and employer organizations and other actors to overcome them.

A special event at the ILO in Geneva on 3 December will include a video statement by an Academy Award winning American actress and presentations by an African social activist and a former member of the Swiss Parliament and leading advocate for people with disabilities on how they overcame barriers in their professions and livelihoods to full and productive work.

At the same time, the ILO will also launch a new report on progress to date in promoting equal opportunities for disabled persons in the world of work, entitled The Right to Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities.

The report, prepared for the ILO by Dr. Arthur O'Reilly, former Chief Executive of the National Rehabilitation Board and National Disability Authority in Ireland, examines laws, policies and initiatives undertaken internationally and at national level, to encourage the recruitment and retention of disabled workers. It provides an overview of the employment options open to disabled persons in labour markets worldwide, and refers to data on their participation and unemployment rates in several countries. It also highlights the challenges people with disabilities face in the world of work, and proposes an agenda for action, so that the international and national laws can be effectively implemented. The report is being translated into over 10 languages.