PROGRAMME OF IASI MEETING for LDV partnership PROJECT 8 March 2014 IASI, ROMANIA Social and workplace/insertion of disabled persons Lecturer PhD Oana Lăcrămioara BĂDĂRĂU “Petre Andrei” University of Iasi Faculty of Social Work and Sociology

Content of presentation  Highlights of legislation on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities  Disability: statistics in Romania  Factors influencing the employment of people with disabilities in Romania  Recommendations for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market

Highlights of legislation on promoting the rights of persons with disabilities  Law no 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities  National Strategy regarding social inclusion of people with disabilities

Law no 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of disabled persons The law is very complex, including provisions on:  the rights of persons with disabilities;  social services and benefits;  accessibility for disabled persons to the physical environment, information and communications,  orientation, training, employment and employment of people with disabilities;  classification in grade of disability;  partnerships  the financing of the protection of persons with disabilities etc. Any employer, whether public or private, but with more than 50 employees - is obliged to engage 4% people with disabilities

National Strategy regarding social inclusion of people with disabilities Provides eight strategic directions for action  accessibility for physical environment  participation (development of alternative support for independent living and community integration)  equality (exercise of rights and freedoms by persons with disabilities)  employment (increase the number of people employed)  education and training  social protection ( development of personal assistance services)  health ( improving access to health services and facilities)  external action ( protection and safety of persons in natural disasters)

Disability: statistics in Romania According to statistics provided by the Directorate Protection of Persons with Disabilities on 31 March 2012:  the number of people with disabilities in Romania was , of which (8.8%) children and adults (91.2%)  32% (over 200,000 people) of romanian adults with disabilities had a severe disability, and over 57% ( ) have a pronounced disability.

Employment of persons with disabilities  By 2002, the employment rate of disabled people has never been analyzed in Romania.  The number of disabled people employed is slightly increasing ( in December 2012, in December 2011, in 2010 and in 2009)  In the first quarter of 2012, only people with disabilities were employed, representing less than 4% of all people with disabilities in Romania.

View of disability on employment (Drăghici, 2008) Employment depends on many factors:  the availability or knowledge of the employer  the specific company  preparing the person with a disability  the nature of the disability

Factors influencing the employment of people with disabilities in Romania (Academic Society of Romania, 2009)  The main factor influencing the employment of disabled people is education  Conditioning granting social benefits of working capacity  About 61% of people with disabilities who have a job are employed by private companies, 31% of public or state owned companies

Psychological factors and stereotypes that prevent employers to hire people with disabilities  People with disabilities achieve their tasks at a lower level than other employees  We are afraid to hire people with disabilities for safety reasons  Employees with disabilities will have problems / disputes with colleagues or bosses  People with disabilities are not sufficiently qualified  Employees with disabilities will need to adapt workplace  Employees with disabilities will need specific training supervision reports etc.

Recommendations for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market  creating a social network support and post-employment services for people with disabilities  adapt training programs to the needs of people with disabilities and labor market requirements;  improving communication with employers  simplify granting tax incentives for organizations employing persons with disabilities