Disability and the Asia-Pacific Decent Work Agenda

Dr. Paul ComynSenior Specialist for Vocational Training & Skills DevelopmentDecent Work Team for South AsiaILO New Delhi

This Presentation will..

• Situate disability issues within the ILO Decent Work Agenda

• Introduce the Global Business Disability Network

• Highlight Key Projects in the Region

• Summarise Key Resources and Contacts

What are the basic international standards and issues?

All ILO Conventions cover people with disabilities, some are more significant, e.g. ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation ) Convention (No. 111), 1958 now ratified by 169 countries.

Some address disability in particular, such as ILO Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention (No.159), 1983, ratified by 82 states, the accompanying Recommendation No. 168, and the voluntary ILO Code of Practice for Managing Disability in the Workplace, 2002

The ILO supports the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified by 101 countries and signed by 149

People with Disabilities and Decent Work: Definitions, data and barriers to employment

Decent Work Issues (1)

Exclusion from education and training

UNESCO estimates only 10 per cent of children with disabilities attend school in developing countries (2006).

Less than 3 per cent of persons with disabilities in Viet Nam have received skills training (2006).

Lower rates of labour force participation

In Hungary, only 12.8 per cent of disabled people are in the workforce compared to 66.7 per cent for nondisabled people (Eurostat 2002).

In Korea, only 38.2 per cent of disabled people are in the workforce compared to 61.9 per cent for nondisabled people (Korea MOL 2007).

Decent Work Issues (2)

Lower wages

In the US, persons with disabilities on average make $6,500 less annually than their non- disabled counterparts (Erikson et al. 2008)

In Korea average annual earning for disabled workers in $18,888 compared to $28,800 for non-disabled persons (Korea MOL 2007).

Informal economy and poverty

More likely to be in jobs in the informal economy which lack protection and benefits

More likely to be poor: In Bolivia, 66% of disabled persons are below the poverty line (INE Bolivia 2001)

But what is the business case for hiring?

Good, dependable, employees

Dupont Study (1958-1990)

Disabled workers performed

comparable to or better than

nondisabled peers with

regard to:

• Safety• Attendance • Job Performance

Better Job Retention

Tricon Restaurants Australia

• Hired 180 PWD over 2 years• Retention rates 4.5 % higher• 100 % safety record• 85 % rated as equal to or

better than other employees

Unlocking the Evidence, Employers’ Forum on Disability, 2001

Marriott: Pathways to Independence

• 6% turnover rate compared to 52% for overall workforce

Improved Company Image

Consumer Attitudes Towards Companies that Hire People with Disabilities

• 92% view companies that hire people with disabilities favourably

• 87% prefer to give business to companies that hire

• 57% of customers would switch brands because of a cause

Increased Market Share

Annual disposable income

•Nearly 30% of American families have at least one family member with a disability. •The disability market, including customers with disabilities and their families is a US $ One Trillion Dollar market (www.askearn.org)•In UK: £80 Billion/US $128 Billion (Disability Action.org)•In Canada: $25 Billion (Royal Bank of Canada, 2001)

What is the ILO Global Business and Disability Network?

Members

• Sharing of good practices• Strengthening of

employers’ organizations at country level

• Joint projects, activities and tool development

• Link to ILO projects and activities

Purposes

Progress so far…

Members

• Formed a Steering Committee which met for the first time in June 2011

• Established communications strategy for Network

• Operational procedures in place

• Web site being developed• Social media coming soon

Purposes

Members: 35 Companies

Other Members

• International Disability• Alliance Australian Employers Network on Disability• Bangladesh Employers' Federation • Employers’ Federation of India, Mumbai• Mauritius Employers' Federation • Mongolian Employers' Federation • Namibian Employers' Federation• National Association of Software & Services Companies (NASSCOM)• Business NZ, New Zealand• PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi, India • The Employers' Federation of Ceylon, Sri Lanka• US Council for International Business• Regional networks of resource NGOs, universities, etc.

Sample Regional Projects

PEPDEL & INCLUDE•Cambodia•China•Lao PDR•Thailand •Vietnam

Irish Funding

Projects

PEPDEL: Promoting the Employability and Employment of

Persons with Disabilities(China, Thailand, Vietnam)

INCLUDE: Promoting Decent Work for People with Disabilities

through a Disability Inclusion Service(Vietnam with outreach to Cambodia, Lao PDR)

Development Objectives

• To promote the development and strengthen the capacity of disability inclusion support agencies

• To sensitize policy makers, programme and service providers to disability issues from a rights-based perspective

• To provide technical advice regarding the inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream policies, programmes and services

• To improve the employability and employment of persons with disabilities through revision of relevant legislation and regulations and through improved enforcement and implementation

Partners

• Ministry of Labour & other government institutions(i.e. Ministry of Social Affairs and Education)• Employers' Organizations and their members• Workers’ Organizations• Organizations of & for Persons with Disabilities • Organizations of Persons Living with HIV-AIDS• Universities and Students’ Associations• Private sector• Service providers such as Micro-Finance & Business

Development Services, Employment Centers• Media

National Institutions

Laws, Policies and International Conventions:

•Disability Law passed in Vietnam in 2010 •A new quota system established in Thailand in 2010 •Revised Tax Preferential policy (series of Notices and Circulars) in China in 2010•ILO Convention No. 159 promoted in Vietnam in 2010/1

THROUGH

Technical advice, sharing good practices, research, consultations, awareness raising, translation of technical and training materials in

national languages

Trade Unions

“Disability Champions’ Programme” Thailand

•Information Awareness (Union members, Communities)

•Promoting Participation & Leadership

•Promoting Rights & Policies, Collective Bargaining & Reasonable Accommodation

•Conducting Surveys & Disability Audits

•Promoting OSH & Return to Work

•Including Disability in the Mandate of the Union (Policy Union)

Employer Organisations

• Disseminate information to members on national laws & regulations on disability: seminars, internet, publications

• Provide training to members (HR)

• Surveys on the reality of disability among their members

• Participate in the ILO Global Disability Network

• Promote Inclusive Business and more CSR policies

Universities

• Disability Law Courses and BA and MA level established in China, Vietnam and Thailand

• Development of Disability Law Curriculum

• Disability Equality Training for Students (Thailand)

• Disability Rights Research (China)

• Disability Surveys with Employers (Thailand)

• Awareness Raising in the Universities

• On-line training on disability law

INCLUDE: Key Results

1) An Include Agency established in Vietnam with the purpose of providing mainstreaming disability services such as disability equality training, disability audits, disability employment services. Clients: microfinance, business service providers, employment service centres, vocational training centres

2) 100 women with disabilities included in entrepreneurship development initiatives (training, loans) - Cambodia

3) Inclusive vocational education and training promoted among ILO constituents through tripartite consultations – 8 countries

4) Capacity of disabled women associations built to deliver business development training – Lao PDR

BangladeshTVET Reform Project

Component 5: Increased access of under-privileged groups

•RMG Machine Operators course for under privileged women & women with disabilities:

– 4 months training at CRP with accommodation – 8 months employment based on the job training at Interfab

•Apprenticeships;•Competency based log books;•Study tours to Sri Lanka (employers, government);•Integrated focus through other components dealing with policy, legislation, data, industry engagement, advocacy.•EC funded.

Other Activities

• Scoping study in India for possible project linking employers with PWD networks;

• Training for MGNREGA District Officers to promote inclusion;

• AusAID funded LEED Project in Sri Lanka working to integrate PWD into new training and employment opportunities in the rapidly developing post-conflict north;

• Incorporating disability considerations into existing tools and initiatives such as Know About Business (KAB) and women’s entrepreneurship development.Booklet for employers on the UNCRPD;

• Workshops in Samoa, Vanuatu and Fiji to promote the UN Convention;

Some Resources

• Employers’ Activities:http://www.ilo.org/actemp

• NATLEX: Database of national labour, social security, and related human rights legislation http://www.ilo.org/natlex

• ILO TV: Global Business and Disability

Network playlist http://www.youtube.com/ilotv#p/c/73A22D93B709417B

Some References

• Disability: http://www.ilo.org/disability

• Inclusion of persons with disabilities: http://www.ilo.org/skills/areas/WCMS_DOC_SKL_ARE_DBL_EN/lang--en/index.htm

• PEPDEL:http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/projects/lang-en/WCMS_112558/index.htm

• INCLUDE: http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/projects/lang--en/WCMS_114085/index.htm

Global Business Development Networkbusinessanddisability@ilo.org

Debra PerrySenior Specialist in Disability Inclusion perry@ilo.org

Barbara MurraySenior Specialist in Disability Inclusion murrayb@ilo.org

Emanuela PozzanSub-Regional Coordinator on Disability pozzan@ilo.org

Paul ComynSenior Specialist for Vocational Training comyn@ilo.org& Skills Development

Contacts