International and Regional Practices Favoring the Inclusion of Persons
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Distr. LIMITED E/ESCWA/SDD/2010/WP.4 7 October 2010 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (ESCWA) INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRACTICES FAVOURING THE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE LABOUR MARKET 10-0505 Preface This paper constitutes the fourth in the Working Papers Series, which is produced by the Social Development Division of ESCWA. The research presented in this issue was conducted by the Social Policy Section as part of its ongoing efforts aimed at promoting an integrated approach to social policy and at fostering inclusive development in the region. Within that context, the paper responds to the Economic and Social Council resolution of July 2010, which “invites Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, regional organizations and development partners to exchange views and share information on good policies and practices for mainstreaming social inclusion into social and economic policies at the national, regional and international levels aimed at achieving equity, equality, social inclusion, protection and cohesion, and recognizes existing efforts in this regard”. This study is being published shortly after the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was held in New York, 20-22 September 2010, and which sought to remind the international community that MDGs could only be achieved by including the world’s 650 million individuals who are living with disabilities, and by encouraging their participation in the MDG process. The study also serves as a background paper for a report on poverty and disability, which will be submitted to the eighth session of ESCWA’s Committee on Social Development (Beirut, March 2011). The paper was designed and authored by Ms Dina Tannir, Associate Social Affairs Officer, and has benefited from the overall guidance and comments by Ms Gisela Nauk, Chief of the Social Policy Section, and by the views of Mr Frederico Neto, Director of the Social Development Division. The author is especially grateful to Mr Elias Attieh for his support in collecting disability-related data, and laws and policies in ESCWA member countries. Special thanks also go to Ms Lina Nassar for assisting in compiling statistics from ESCWA region-wide censuses and for editing earlier drafts of the paper. Appreciation is further extended to Ms Lara El Khoury, Ms Tanja Sejersen and Mr. Paul Tacon for their helpful observations. The Working Papers Series present preliminary research prepared by ESCWA staff aimed at promoting the exchange of ideas and at stimulating discussion around specific topics. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ESCWA. Comments and suggestions can be sent through the ESCWA website at: www.escwa.un.org/main/contact.asp. iii iv CONTENTS Page Preface .................................................................................................................................................. iii Executive summary .............................................................................................................................. vii Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter I. CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS OF DISABILITY .......................................................... 4 A. Evolution of the disability concept ..................................................................................... 4 B. Defining disability: An ongoing challenge for research and policymaking ....................... 4 C. Demographics of disability ................................................................................................. 6 D. Prevalence of disability in the ESCWA region .................................................................. 7 II. CURRENT AND EMERGING DISABILITY ISSUES ........................................................ 10 A. Disability, exclusion and poverty ....................................................................................... 10 B. Disability and gender .......................................................................................................... 10 C. Disability and education ..................................................................................................... 11 D. Disability and employment ................................................................................................. 11 E. Disability and health ........................................................................................................... 12 F. Disability and the policy environment ................................................................................ 13 G. Disability and social support .............................................................................................. 13 H. Disability and demographic change ................................................................................... 14 III. TOWARDS THE FULL INTEGRATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES .......... 15 A. International mandates: promoting the rights and social integration of persons with disabilities ........................................................................................................................... 15 B. Promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market: rationale, instruments and international practices .............................................................................. 17 IV. REGIONAL EXPERIENCES PROMOTING THE INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE LABOUR MARKET ......................................................... 31 A. Monitoring the implementation of the Arab decade for disabled persons .......................... 31 B. Policies and legislation supporting the employment of persons with disabilities in the ESCWA region ......................................................................................................... 32 C. Disability insurance in the ESCWA region ........................................................................ 39 V. FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION .............................................. 40 A. Summary of lessons learned at international and regional levels ....................................... 40 B. General and specific policy recommendations for ESCWA member countries ................. 41 C. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 44 v CONTENTS (continued) Page LIST OF TABLES 1. Prevalence of disability in the ESCWA region, various years ................................................... 7 2. Employment of persons with disabilities in selected ESCWA member countries and territories .................................................................................................................................... 12 3. International instruments and initiatives that support the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities .......................................................................................................................... 15 4. Arab countries that have signed and/or ratified the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and its optional protocol, as of November 2010 .............................................. 16 5. Employment quotas of persons with disabilities in selected countries ...................................... 25 6. Types of disability programmes providing cash benefits by country ......................................... 28 7. Government structures in charge of implementing and monitoring the convention the rights of persons with disabilities in selected countries ....................................................................... 30 8. Employment quotas for persons with disabilities in the ESCWA region .................................. 38 LIST OF BOXES 1. Measures related to recommendation No. 168 of the ILO vocational rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled persons) convention (No. 159) ............................................................. 18 2. Full text of article 27 of the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities .................... 19 3. Disability mainstreaming: the case of Sweden ........................................................................... 23 4. Why the employment quota system for persons with disabilities has not achieved its objectives ............................................................................................................................... 26 5. Guide for the rights of persons with disabilities in the GCC subregion ..................................... 39 vi Executive summary The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that persons with disabilities constitute 10 per cent of the world’s population, with significant variations both within and among countries depending on differences in the definition of disability. In more developed countries, demographic ageing and improved data collection methods could yield higher rates for the prevalence of disability. However, even when exact numbers are difficult to find, it is generally agreed that there are more persons with disabilities in developing countries owing to communicable and chronic diseases, birth defects, warfare and injuries, most of which can be avoided through appropriate prevention and alleviation mechanisms. Disability has long been at the forefront of the global development agenda,