Why acces of dp in productive work should be part of the PRSP (?)

1. DISABILITY AND POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGIES How to ensure that access of persons with disabilities to decent and productive work is part of the GPRS process

2. Why acces of dp in productive work should be part of the PRSP (?) • Disabled persons are not a small minority: estimated disabled population 7 to 10% of total population • In PRSP countries, disabled persons generally belong to the poorest of the poor • disability -> exclusion ->disability • <--------------------------------<

3. The majority of disabled persons can and want to do productive work • equal access to employment is a right, • but also the most cost-effective solution • reduction of social costs, • but more importantly: “participation in economic growth” • WB study estimates global annual loss of GDP through exclusion of dp from work at US$ 1.37 - 1.94 trillion

4. A disability is the social outcome of a physical or mental impairment • A disability is an individual destiny, • but also the outcome of collective situations and decisions: disability policy is a question of social justice. • In this case, social justice and economic rationality go hand in hand

5. How dp should be included in the PRSP: basic concepts in current disability thinking and practice • Dp not to be dissolved among “vulnerable groups” • Dp are not a homogeneous group • the autonomy continuum • the service continuum reaching from “social assistance” to “access to productive work” • If impairments are compensated for, there is in principle no need for protection, only guarantee that opportunities are equal • Disability isthe result of accumulated social exclusion mechanisms, and not a natural fact

6. What then is disability policy all about ? • provide a comprehensive set of support measures at different levels to compensate for the impairment so that it doesn’t become a disability, avoid exclusion

7. What is the nature of these support services? • Strictly limited to the access facilitating function, not more and not less: we will call them interface services. • Misunderstandings : parallel services vs. interface services • Disability policy: the affair of Social Affairs only?

8. What happens when disability policy is the affair of the Ministries of Social Affairs ? • when Ministries of Social Affairs manage parallel sectoral programs for disabled persons: • they deliver second class services (ex: training, credit...) • dp are excluded from technical competency and financial resources of technical ministries • dp are excluded a second time on the symbolic level • following former reform policies (e.g. SAPs), MSA have to tackle aggravated social problems with reduced resources • MSA are the last address dp should be referred to.

9. In a multi-sectoral disability policy • all sectoral needs of dp should be taken into account in all ordinary sectoral policies and programs and be managed by sectoral ministries • Why then do we need the Ministry of Soial Affairs?

10. Role of the MSA in a multi-sector disability policy: • make sure that the needs of disabled persons are correctly taken into account in all the sectoral policies (see Gender policy) • Differences between sector policies and target group policies (“hard and soft” policies) • functions of a target group policy: • Policy orientation • Advocacy • Coordination/networking • Provision of specialist knowledge • (and only then): delivery of specific services

11. What does this mean for the MSA ? • no devaluation, but promotion • new qualifications required: be knowledgeable about sector policies • the more marginal the target group, the more “encyclopaedic” must be the knowledge of the ministry in charge. • the redefinition of the mandate of the MSA and the multi-sector institutional framework is one of the most important conditions for a successful reduction of the poverty of dp

12. Conceptual revolution in the understanding of disability (policy) in recent years • adapt the dp to society -> adapt society to the needs of the dp • rehabilitation -> creating an enabling environment • social assistance -> respect for minority rights, social diversity, concept of a society for all • The political dimension of disability policy • Disability policy for dp vs. empowerment of dp and their organizations

13. Elements of a comprehensive disability policy: • Legislation: protection of the rights of dp • Access of disabled children to education • Access to health services • Policy to cover the needs concerning technical devices and appliances • Physical accessibility • Accessibility of information • Access to vocational skills training and lifelong learning opportunities • Employment promotion policy • Sectoral employment promotion programs • Institutional framework for a multi-sectoral disability policy • Strengthening of the capacities of Disabled Persons’ Organizations • Collection, analysis and publication of statistical data on disability, disability statistics are generally very unreliable (see Ghana) • Social assistance policies and programs

14. Sectoral integration : • of disability policy, not (only) of dp • should be comprehensive: there is no use in taking up one or the other element: only a comprehensive set will have any impact • is not easy

15. Part 2: Strategy proposals • How to get the disability issue into the PRSP process • How to treat the issue in the PRS documents • How to keep the issue in the PR policy

16. How to treat the issue in the PRS documents • Poverty diagnosis • Employment policy for disabled persons • Public and private sector formal employment • Disabled persons in sectoral employment programs

17. Elements of an employment policy for dp • adopt national employment policy for dp (C159) • respect interface nature of all support services and programs • multi-sector institutional framework, participation of DPOs and social partners in policy development • legislation, access of dp to information about legislation, to the legal system • specialized employment services in ordinary employment services • special vocational rehabilitation services: rehabilitation, assessment, orientation, placement, job coach services • institutional and programmatic mainstreaming in TVET policy: equal opportunities in training, retraining, traditional apprenticeship, lifelong learning opportunities

18. physical and communicational accessibility, access to information • production, marketing/distribution of technical aids • “Competency Centre” • collection, analysis, publication of gender-sensitive statistical data • awareness raising activities • specific actions to promote employment of disabled women • dp seen as genderless human beings: double discrimination of dw is overlooked • only 3% of dw registered in Ghana labour force • disability prevention policy on the workplace • mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of the policy

19. Public and private sector formal employment • quantitatively marginal, but of high demonstrative value -> visibility strategy • remember that access to formal employment means access to recruitment, return-to work, job retention, equal opportunities for training and advancement: to all dimensions of decent work.

20. Elements of a formal sector employment strategy for disabled persons • Adoption of a “Disability Management Strategy in the Workplace” by employers (ref: ILO Code of practice) • Participation of trade unions, DPOs, OSH services in design, implementation and monitoring of the strategy • adjustment of workplaces, including job content, work environment, job organization, tools, IC technologies, risk analysis... • vocational rehabilitation, evaluation, orientation, job placement and job coach services • recruitment procedures capable to reach and attract dp • provision of work experience in training strategy

21. Adoption and enforcement of a reasonable “quota system”, with corresponding central fund • availability of qualified disabled jobseekers • Social security coverage of work related disabilities • employer incentives

22. Sectoral employment programs: agriculture, urban SME/IS, labour- intensive public works • First step to integration : don’t look for special informal sector employment promotion strategies for dp • What is needed: • -> assure equal access to service providers for the sector (training, credit, extension services, cooperative support, etc.) and programs in the field (e.g. TC programs) • -> assure physical and communicational accessibility to these services and programs • -> networking between “ordinary” services and programs in this field with specialized rehabilitation services. • access on decentralised levels (districts, communities), local economic development

23. Some lessons from ILO experience in informal sector employment promotion for disabled persons • Comprehensiveness : good training is not enough • business-like functioning of vocational rehabilitation centres : be careful about the institutional framework • no “special” conditions for disabled micro-entrepreneurs ! • the “begging” alternative in the dp’s personal cost/benefit analysis • Successful examples of cooperatives of disabled and non-disabled members in the agricultural and urban informal sector

24. Successful experiences in traditional apprenticeship schemes • Labour-intensive public works programs: do not all need physical strength (ex.: Cambodia). Opportunities in induced employment: local production of tools, food, equipment.

25. The place of Social Protection in disability policy reconsidered • all policies, programs and activities targeting persons with “critical” disabilities • cross-cutting specific disability support services, like: • physical and informational accessibility of public buildings and events • coverage of the needs of disabled persons concerning technical aids, throughout the country • the functions performed by the structure in charge of disability policy in the framework of a multi-sectoral approach • the need for comprehensiveness and coherence

26. How to ensure that the issue remains in the PR policy. Lessons learned from the shortcomings of a great number of PRSPs • assure the effective participation of pd in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the PRSP • formulate clearly strategies and programs • articulate clearly the linkages between proposed policies, strategies actions and poverty reduction outcomes for dp • define indicators and set quantified targets for all formulated strategies and actions

27. make sure that all objectives, strategies and actions identified in the body of the text are correctly taken up in the Action Plan tables, including budget provisions • make sure that priorities & strategies formulated in the PRSP feed directly into the national budget • indicate clearly in subsequent updates of the PRSP that and how the issue has been newly or more adequately treated in the present version (if this is the case) • keep explicit record of progress/problems of disability related issues in the Annual Progress Reports and subsequent updates of the PRSP