The employment of disabled people in European countries

Although many disabled people are employed, disability remains a significant risk factor for participation in the labour market. There is a need to set clearer national targets for disabled people's employment and to establish activation projects with clear goals, including a structured evaluation strategy. Access to open employment also requires the elimination of barriers and strategic intervention on accessibility.

There are significant deficiencies in the available data for comparison and there is a need for planned updates on disability equality (including gender equality) within the Labour Force Survey. It is also important to ensure that potential beneficiaries have accessible information about the activation opportunities available to them. At the same time, there is a need to increase awareness amongst employers to ensure that companies' social responsibility is recognised, including social criteria and social considerations in public procurement.

The connections between education and employment are clearly evident. Bridging the gap between education and the labour market, including life long learning (e.g. in ICT skills), is a therefore an important priority and a major challenge. There is also a need to ensure that flexible routes in and out of the benefit system are possible thereby reducing disincentives for disabled people to take up employment opportunities with both flexibility and security.