Innovative Employment Inititiatives in Russia

Official government statistics claim that approximately 1 million people with disabilities across Russia are employed. Therefore, approximately 12-14% of the total Russian disabled population of working age is officially recognized as employed. The majority of these employed persons have disabilities that do not require accommodations in the workplace or transportation assistance getting to their job. Another large percentage of these persons are employed at sheltered businesses and factories that are owned and managed by disability NGOs, at very low wages and little hope of future job security.

A very common arrangement for "officially employed" disabled persons is to be employed for a minimal fee, with the understanding that they are not required to ever come to work. This arrangement used to benefit the employer with tax breaks. Moreover, the employer did not have to make any changes to the workplace or provide much needed transportation. These kinds of schemes and sheltered employment opportunities for disabled persons have survived the transition from socialism to a mixed capitalist economy. However, recently, companies using these employment schemes have lost a significant part of their tax benefits, and disabled people across Russia have been dismissed. Some of these companies that are owned by the disability NGOs continue to provide very rudimentary work at very minimal wages for disabled people. For many disabled people, however, this still represents the only option for employment and a supplement to their small pensions.

At the same time, legislation providing employment quotas has been passed at the federal and local levels. However, in reality, it is has often been more economical for the employer to pay a fine than to hire someone with a disability, pay them a salary, and make minimal adaptive changes to the workplace. However, even this system is changing with the passing of new legislation that requires that 3-4% disabled staff be hired at a business that employs more than 100 people as opposed to the previous figure of 30. Furthermore, as of January 2004, no fine will be required if you do not honor this quota. Finally, many working disabled Russians will lose their small pensions of $50-100.

Consequently, approximately 85% of people with disabilities still remain unemployed, few physical changes are being made to improve accessibility to the workplace and accessible transportation is still scarce. For the unemployed or fictitiously employed disabled person, social isolation and low self -esteem will continue to reinforce their inability to gain competitive employment skills.

Access to Employment Project: activities and success stories

Starting in September 2003, Perspektiva began a project on access to employment for people with disabilities. The project, funded by the Ford Foundation, was implemented in 5 regions - Moscow, Nijniy Novgotod, Samara, Toliatti and Rostov to motivate youth with disabilities to seek job skills training and employment opportunities, while promoting an inclusive access to employment approach in Russia amongst members of the community at the national and local levels.

Project activities included leading seminars and trainings for young people with disabilities, government officials and employment agency professionals, organizing job fairs for people with disabilities, and working closely with the media to promoting an inclusive approach to employment. During the project, more than 200 reports, broadcasts and radio shows appeared on local and national TV. In addition, employment agencies were organized in 4 cities. More then 5,000 people with disabilities participated in job fairs, and thousands of people were provided consultations and over 100 people found jobs. Working relationships with government officials dealing with employment issues improved significantly. In Moscow alone, 35 companies / employers participated in the last job fair. After seeing the productive and positive nature of a partnership with Perspektiva or one of its partner disability NGOS, employment agencies have begun negotiating with them to organize more disability employment outreach.

New project to address work-site accommodations and job development

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