The Irish Association of Supported Employment (IASE) has launched a new three-year strategy to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The plan aims to raise awareness of the supports available to employers who hire or retain employees with disabilities.

People with disabilities are only half as likely to be at work as the rest of the working-age population. But the ESRI says employment amongst people with disabilities could increase by more than 20% if the right supports were in place. Some 5,000 people with disabilities are currently in supported employment, in which individual supports are provided to enable them to access jobs in the mainstream labour market.

Minister Kathleen Lynch said the IASE plan was challenging but achievable. “People with disabilities are not looking for special treatment. They are looking for a fair chance to get or keep a job, prove their abilities and find ways of overcoming the barriers which workplaces or co-workers often unwittingly present. Many people with disabilities who do succeed in getting jobs often struggle in the early stages due primarily to a lack of appropriate support,” she said.

The IASE, a voluntary organisation that promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities through supported employment, is core funded by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.