Problem addressed

17% of people with disabilities in Europe are unemployed, compared to 10% of people without disabilities. Commitment charters signed by companies that want to promote diversity in their workplace – such as the Luxembourg Diversity Charter – can help tackle the high unemployment rate of people with disabilities. However, there is still a lack of awareness and information on what signatories of such charters can concretely do to fully include people with disabilities in the workplace. These challenges hinder positive initiatives from actually having a tangible impact on diversity in the workplace.

Innovative solution

Inspiring More Sustainability Luxembourg (IMS), the developer of the Luxembourg Diversity Charter, initiated the (Handi)Cap’ Inclusive project in 2015. The project empowers people with disabilities, informs them about their rights, supports them in building a useful network of contacts and increases their confidence, determination and resilience. It also targets companies, aiming to make them aware of the specific needs of people with disabilities and how to address them efficiently and effectively. This is important for the economy overall as well as for the target group that benefits from inclusive policies and workplaces.

During the first phase of the project, IMS partnered with the Ministry of National Employment to contact potential participants – people with disabilities – through the ministry’s network. The project trained selected participants on interview skills and on how to address their disability with employers, with the aim of building their autonomy and self-esteem. (Handi)Cap’ Inclusive also trained interested signatory companies of the Commitment Charter on how to best address disabilities in the workplace. Candidates and companies were then invited to so-called cafés pour l’emploi (job cafés), organised within the National Employment Agency’s premises, to put them in contact with one another and thus multiply job opportunities for candidates.

The second phase of the project started in 2017. IMS worked with companies to determine the specific challenges they face when integrating people with disabilities. This step allowed companies to identify challenges and find practical ways to adapt existing practices and make them more inclusive. (Handi)Cap’ Inclusive created an intra-company working group to further support this. The working group provides a space for companies to discuss and share experiences with regards to the challenges and potential solutions to including disabled people in the workplace.

Key results and benefits

The project has led awareness-raising campaigns and produced tools such as reports, guides, posters and videos on how to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. IMS has also published an e-book on the main findings of its working groups.

Three job cafés were organised over two years, involving 19 companies and 37 recruiters, in which 75 job applicants with disabilities participated. As many as 30% of applicants were hired by companies they met at the event. Companies found the job cafés eye-opening and useful in understanding hidden disabilities such as mental, neurological, visual and auditory ones. People with disabilities benefited from more inclusive policies being implemented as a result of the working group discussions.

Potential for mainstreaming

The project’s results are sustainable: companies will build on the disability-friendly policies developed through the working groups and can further develop the contacts and networks that they have established through the project. This will enable companies to learn and exchange best practices. The resources developed by the project can be accessed online by companies, thus guaranteeing a multiplier effect. The multi-stakeholder and holistic approach of the initiative constitutes a key strength and success factor and would be prerequisite for adopting or adapting the policy in another context.