Employment strategies for the blind in Eastern Europe

Abstract

In most East European countries unemployment among Visually Impaired persons (VIPs) exceeds 90% in an environment in which regular unemployment varies from 40% (Bulgaria) to 70% (Kosovo). Coping with this situation in which VIPs can hardly compete with healthy young people in an overheated labour market seems to be a main issue. Experiences with upholstery vocational training centres in East European countries, each of them accommodating 6–8 VIPs students, may be one of the responses to the unemployment crise for blind and partly sighted people. The training centres, so far established in six East European countries, also function as a wood workshop. This enhances the students to get used to production mechanisms in a commercial environment. Education, exams and certification standards for upholstery training centers adopted by the six countries, ensure quality of the training and the production. These East European countries have also formed a knowledge network, initiated by the Rehabilitation Centre in Plovdiv Bulgaria, ensuring East to East support mechanisms. Sonneheerdt acts as a facilitator in this process and a linking mechanisms between the upholstery centres in Eastern Europe and possible commercial enterprises in Western Europe. It is a belief that sustainable employment for VIP's can only be guaranteed if the training/production centres and the subsequent new production centres are commercially viable. To ensure viability, Sonneheerdt conducts, together with the local blind organisations, marketing studies and provides management support via consultancy and training. So far this strategy has led to increased VIP employment in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania. Kosovo is about to start.