Towards a more inclusive labor market - On the employment of persons with disabilities in Europe’s nation states

In December 2006 the United Nations’ General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) “to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities” which recognizes “the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others” and “the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labor market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities”. 

But what does the actual situation of people with disabilities working in the labor market look like throughout Europe – now, almost 20 years later? Do persons with disabilities in fact participate in an open, inclusive and accessible labor market? Are there best practices and success stories to be found in Europe? And, if not, what needs to be done to improve the situation? Help us find out! We need your ideas and inspiration to gain an international perspective on the situation and work towards best-practice ideas of how to improve it. 

Our Service Learning-Project “Towards a more inclusive labor market” explores whether and how European states comply with the UN Convention 17 years after its adoption. In small groups you will work on a case of your choice which relates to the CRPD’s implementation in your respective country, using the knowledge and skills of your own field of study. Together, we want to provide a fresh look and new insights for persons with disabilities and professionals working in the area that can then guide the work of experts seeking to improve the lives of the people affected. 

The project is open to all FORTHEM-students. You will attend short online meetings starting in December 2023 in which you will get to know the team as well as decide on a specific topic to work on and later participate in periods of group work. The highlight of our project will be a four-day meeting in Mainz, Germany, in March 2024 where students will have the opportunity to present and discuss the results of their work. 

 All students interested are free to join an digital info event on November 16th, 2023 (1 pm – 2:30 pm CET). After the event, interested students can apply. We will then select 2-3 students per FORTHEM university (restricted by the available travel grants), granting Master-degree students priority over Bachelor-degree students. Other than that, we will accept students as per order of their application. 

Participation is free of charge and UL FORTHEM will provide financial support for the trip to Mainz. 

The project is organized by the Career Service of JGU (Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz) within the FORTHEM alliance partner NRD (Nieder-Ramstädter Diakonie, www.nrd.de), a large not-for-profit service provider to persons with predominantly intellectual disabilities. 

Interested? 

Join our info event on November 16, 2023 (1 pm – 2:30 pm CET) where you get to know us and find out more about the project! Simply register for the event in our portal or join the event directly via this link.