Integration of people with disabilities into the labor market

Abstract

This article deals with the integration of people with disabilities into the labor market based on the experience of the EU countries and Ukraine. There are four main components of the policy of integrating people with disabilities into the labor market, namely certain job quotas or jobseeker benefits, services provided by state employment services and non-governmental organizations, employer support, development and implementation of employment programs, including flex jobs organization. The authors highlighted the specifics of the functioning of each of these components. In particular, the expediency of setting the job quotes, the measures of employer support and certain types of activities of state and non-state services in the EU and Ukraine are discussed. Recommendations on the employer support and the implementation of EU experience in the activity of the State Employment Service of Ukraine are given. It has been proposed to develop and implement a national employment program for people with disabilities. The program consists of four stages: the analysis of public sector vacancies for people with disabilities; identifying people with disabilities who wish to occupy these positions, as well as analyzing their real needs and opportunities; adapting workplaces to the needs of people with disabilities and organizing vocational training for them; and on-the-job support.