employment of people with disabilities in the public sector part 5 disability act

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Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act. Eithne Fitzgerald Head of Policy and Research. The National Disability Authority. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act
Page 2: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Employment of people with disabilities in the public sectorPart 5 Disability Act

Eithne Fitzgerald

Head of Policy and Research

Page 3: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

The National Disability Authority is the independent state body

providing expert advice on disability policy and practice to Government, and promoting Universal Design in Ireland

Page 4: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Public service employment target• 3% employment target introduced in 1977

• Put on statutory footing from 2006

• Legal obligation to promote and support employment of people with disabilities

• Monitoring and reporting structure

Page 5: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Context

• Employment rate of people with disabilities is half that of others (33% v 66%)

• Even in the boom times, employment rate low • Public sector target an important positive

action measure• 2006 data suggests 2:1 public to private sector • 3% target is very conservative – 11% of people

of working age have a disability• Act provides for jobs target to be varied

Page 6: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Disability and employment 2011

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 20-64

pwd

others

Page 7: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Pwd by difficulty workingQNHS 2002

53.6

20.1

27.8

17.418.7

62.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

working not working

no restrsome resthigh restr

Page 8: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Legal obligation on public bodies• As far as practicable take all reasonable

measures to promote and support the employment of pwd

• Reach 3% target unless there are good reasons to the contrary

• Report on compliance by 31st March

• Comply with any statutory Codes of Practice

• Covers public service (except Gardai, army, schools)

Page 9: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Pwd of working age (20-64) - Census 2006

Potential labour force (less home duties, students, older retired)

99,000

Not in work

In work

unemployed

Labour force status ill/disabled

63,000

72,000 15,000

81,000

People with disabilities and employment

62,000

11,000

Difficulty working

Difficultyworking

208,000

Page 10: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Monitoring system

• Monitoring Committees with trade union representation oversee compliance in bodies under their Departments

• Finance/PER oversee civil servant employment

• Monitoring cttes first point of oversight• They report to National Disability Authority• NDA issues annual report to Minister• NDA can recommend enforcement action

Page 11: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

National Disability Authority role• Monitoring Committees send reports to us

on compliance, by end June

• NDA prepares annual report on compliance

• Published www.nda.ie

• If public body is in breach 2 years in a row, NDA can recommend mandatory action, with agreement of relevant Minister

• Guidance to public bodies

Page 12: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

How are we doing?

• 2007 – 2.5% across the public service• 2008 – 2.7%• 2009 – 2.9%• 2010 – 2.7%• 2011 – looking good

• Substantive issues – embargo, downsizing. Bodies who don’t give this obligation attention

• Data issues. Poor collection. Poor response rates.

Page 13: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

NDA follow-up

• Valid reasons - micro-bodies, safety-critical work, specialist qualifications, embargo

• Focus on bodies which have been recruiting but not met the target

• Statutory requests for information to get behind why hasn’t met the target

• Strategic support to larger bodies

• Tailored advice

Page 14: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Definition of disability

• ‘Disability, in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capacity of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State by reason of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual impairment’

• Focus is on people with more serious difficulties

• No reflection on anybody’s capacity to do their job

• People who have been accommodated because of a disability are included

Page 15: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Collecting data• Baseline census of all employees with

disabilities• Establish disability status as per Disability

Act of all employees• Update annually by reference to

– Recruitment of staff with disabilities– Departure of staff with disabilities– Staff who acquire a disability

• People reluctant to report a disability• Non-completion of forms

Page 16: Employment of people with disabilities in the public sector Part 5 Disability Act

Looking to the future

• 1977 intake now retiring

• Strategic planning around recruitment must take 3% target on board

• Engage with bodies who can supply potential recruits

• Not enough to say ‘no-one qualified’ – strategic approach to training pwd for jobs

• Support, promote, retain

• Recession won’t last forever!