Human Rights & Employment

4. Employment for PWID

4.6. Self-employment - Social Enterprises

C. Self-employment - Social Enterprises

Due to a labour market that is often unfriendly to persons with disabilities, self-employment has often been seen as one of the few options available – indeed, it is for many persons with disabilities the only real option for work. About 80 percent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries where informal economy is widespread, and where a large part of income opportunities are created through informal own-account enterprises or similar. To this end, the CRPD calls on State parties to promote opportunities for self-employment, entrepreneurship, the development of cooperatives and starting one’s own business.

Business start-up programs focusing on persons with disabilities or general programs that give priority to persons with disabilities seem to be among the most common choices for promoting self-employment. While some countries provide financial support specifically targeted to persons with disabilities wishing to engage in self-employment, others have adopted legislation to give preference to projects by persons with disabilities. Many countries encourage persons with disabilities to form associations or social enterprises.

Despite the availability of a wide variety of promotional programs for self-employment, in practice, persons with disabilities often find themselves in situations where they are denied support to start a business due to barriers in accessing loans, credit guarantees or similar financial assistance. The provision of funding for self-employment schemes should be fully inclusive of persons with disabilities and should not discriminate against them in any way.

Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit and they have both business goals and social goals. As a result, their social goals are embedded in their objective, which differentiates them from other organizations and corporations. A social enterprise's main purpose is to promote, encourage and make social change.

Despite their diversity, social enterprises mainly operate in the following 4 fields:

Work integration - training and integration of people with disabilities and unemployed people
Personal social services - health, well-being and medical care, professional training, education, health services, childcare services, services for elderly people, or aid for disadvantaged people
Local development of disadvantaged areas - social enterprises in remote rural areas, neighbourhood development/rehabilitation schemes in urban areas, development aid and development cooperation with third countries
Other - including recycling, environmental protection, sports, arts, culture or historical preservation, science, research and innovation, consumer protection and amateur sports

ACTIVITY

Discuss employment options and which one would be more suitable for him/her with your child.

Summary

In this section, which completes the module on “Human Rights”, we have focused on PWID’s right to employment. We have analysed various types of employment and looked at the possible barriers and reality.

We hope that upon completion of this module, you are now in a position to acknowledge the importance and protect the rights of PWID, mainly their right in active participation in decision making, social inclusion, as well as fulfilling adult roles such as that of employment.

We would recommend that you continue your navigation through our e-learning platform in order to study other human rights of people with disability.

Thank you for your participation!