Disability employment policy tools for engaging employers - Background paper

Around one in six people of working age in the EU lives with a disability, yet just over half of them are in employment. Closing this disability employment gap benefits not only persons with disabilities themselves but also the economy and social cohesion – a concern that is all the more pressing in an ageing society, where disability is frequently acquired over the life course. While a wide range of policy tools and workplace practices – at both EU and Member State levels – support the entry, retention and career development of persons with disabilities in the open labour market, significant barriers persist, and employers have a central role to play in addressing them.