Inclusive Employment: Advancing Access to Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities
At the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha the GDI Hub joined a diverse and brilliant panel to explore 'Inclusive Employment: Advancing Access to Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities.'
Co-hosted by the UK Government, GDI Hub, ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, International Disability Alliance, United Disabled Persons of Kenya, and Fatma Aljassim the session showcased how disability-inclusive livelihood interventions and AT can lead to decent work opportunities.
During the session chaired by Dr Victoria Austin (GDI Hub) the panel explored global evidence on inequalities in employment in low- and- middle- income- countries and learnings from programmes that seek to strengthen the livelihoods.
Dr Morgon Banks (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) shared how "lower income leads to lower pensions and assets.... this creates a lack of financial security", while Esther Mkamori (United Disabled Persons of Kenya) highlighted the importance of economic independence.
Matthew Kelson (IDA) shared that "the right to work is essential to achieving all other human rights' highlighting that "persons with disabilities are much more likely not to be employed and much more likely to be in informal sector", and Fatma Aljassim (access with Fatma) focused on retaining jobs "the turnover for people with disabilities is much worse" highlighting the need to bridge education and employment. Ceridwen Johnson (AT scale) emphasised how the employment gap starts in education, and the critical role of Assistive Technology to both education and employment.
With powerful opening addresses from Laure Beaufils, Director for Humanitarian, Food Security and Resilience at the UK’s FCDO, and important closing remarks from H.E. Maitha Alshamsi, CEO of Community Empowerment at the Community Development Authority of Dubai the sessions concluded by highlighting that inclusion must be seen as an investment to drive sustainable growth.
