Concern at 2% public jobs for those with disabilities

The number of people with disabilities employed in the public sector is growing at an "unacceptably slow" rate, the Disabilities Minister has said.

Mr Willie O'Dea, speaking at the publication of a resource pack on access to employment and an explanatory booklet for service providers on accommodating disabilities, said he was "extremely disappointed" at the slow rate of increase. "I urge [public service bodies] to re-examine their human resource strategies now," said the Minister.

A target that 3 per cent of public service employees should be disabled was set in 1977. Currently the rate is just 2 per cent.

Mr O'Dea said public service bodies had "a duty to invest the time, effort and resources required to make the target attainable".

The first of yesterday's publications, the Disability Resource Pack, aims to support employers in developing accessible workplaces. It points out that disability is one of the nine grounds covered by the 1998 Employment Equality Act, and failure to comply could lead to prosecution.

Under the Act employers are obliged to make any necessary change to enable an employee with a disability to do their job as long as the cost is nominal.

The Equality Authority is calling for the removal of the "nominal cost exemption" from the public sector employers.

The information booklet on accommodating people with disability aimed at service providers points out the 2000 Equal Status Act applies to them. The Act, it says, requires them to "accommodate the needs of people with disabilities through making reasonable changes". It offers advice and information on achieving these.

Mr Niall Crowley, chief executive of the Equality Authority, said case work on the authority's books indicated "significant exclusion and discrimination" was experienced by people with disabilities in the workplace. Some 119 cases of discrimination in the workplace and in the provision of goods and services had been reported to the authority this year.

"A significant number of cases indicate a failure on the part of employers to give consideration to specific facilities or adjustments in work procedures that would allow people with disabilities to do their job effectively," said Mr Crowley.

He said some 63 cases of disability discrimination concerned access to restaurants, pubs, hotels, aircraft, shopping centres and clubs. A growing area was access to educational and transport facilities. He said such discrimination was illegal. Asked whether he would encourage people with a disability to take cases against non-compliant employers or service providers, he said: "Of course."

Next year will be the European Year of People with Disabilities. Mr Crowley said it must be a year where there would be a "qualitative shift in the experience and situation of people with disabilities".

Information available from the Equality Authority on (01) 417 3333 or at www.equality.ie.