The employment of people with disabilities in small & medium-sized enterprises

This study seeks to answer two questions about small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs): 1. Why do (or do not) employers in small and medium sized enterprises employ people with disabilities? 2. How do employers in small and medium sized enterprises employ people with disabilities? The aim of this study is to determine how and why small and medium sized enterprises recruit and employ people with disabilities. It considers the processes by which an employer identifies a need to employ someone, a person with a disability seeks employment, and a contractual relationship is established and maintained. Studies have been conducted in six Member States, commissioned by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions or national governments. The emphasis of the studies was qualitative, focusing on the perceptions and experience of employers and their employees, and a case study approach was adopted. Each of the six national studies has been published as a Working Paper by the Foundation. This report is concerned with the outcomes of these six studies and the lessons that can be drawn by considering issues and consequences that are both common to all or unique to some Member States. Following an explanation of the general methodological approach adopted, the regulatory framework in each of the studied countries is presented. This chapter seeks to summarise the policy context rather than present a detailed analysis which is available elsewhere. The twenty-two cases are then summarised followed by a detailed analysis of their implications. Conclusions and recommendations complete the report.