Bar Elias (Bekaa Valley), May 16 – June 26, 2004
PRESS RELEASE


THE ‘ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMME’ - YEAR II -


Encouraging the socio-economic integration of individuals with disabilities into the workforce: Linking computer literacy to employability


Background
The unemployment rate of the disabled people in Lebanon is very high. As the study in 1996 by the Ministry of Social Affairs shows, only 17% of disabled actually work. The main reasons behind this figure are: the existing socio-cultural prejudices, the low level of education and the vocational rehabilitation provided through the institutions is not market oriented and not focused on people with disabilities.

These people have the potential to make a valuable contribution in the workforce, as employees, entrepreneurs or employers. Some employers have started to tap this potential. Many governments have introduced legislation, policies and programs to promote employment opportunities for job-seekers with disabilities.
In May 2000, the Lebanese Parliament approved a new legislation, Law no. 220, which secures basic rights for the disabled. The new legislation on the rights of people with disability is based on the ‘UN Standard Rules for the Equalization of Opportunities and the World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons’. The legislation addresses the rights of disabled persons to proper education, rehabilitation services, employment, medical services, sports and access to public transport and other facilities.
Law no.220 stipulates that the public sector shall assign at least 3 per cent of the global number of positions in the different categories to disabled persons. The private sector companies with a staff over 60 persons should employ a number of disabled that is at least the 3 per cent of the total number of workers.


The Project
The “Discover-Ability project”, launched in 2003, aimed at encouraging the social integration and development of individuals with disabilities into the workforce: The isolation and exclusion of people with disability is even more acute considering peripheral regions. This weakness led us to start our intervention from rural areas, choosing the Bekaa Valley as a pilot region, due to the high number of disabled people that are heavily affected by the poverty and isolation that this region is facing.

Since May 16, and within the scope of the “Accessibility Programme” initiated by Fondation Saradar in collaboration with the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union (LPHU), a new project is being implemented to respond to the needs of the trainees. It seeks to achieve two main objectives:
1) Build the competitiveness of job-seekers with disability on the labour market by developing their computer skills, and creating links between disabled people and the private sector: enabling people with disabilities to access the labour market in the Bekaa region, through promoting self-development and interpersonal skills and increasing their abilities to provide for their families and community;
2) Increase the awareness of the Lebanese civil society and private sector on the potentiality of people with disability.

As a result, this pilot experience will contribute to the implementation of the disability law no. 220 and to a shift toward Inclusion policy that will enhance employment among people with disability.


The training
During a period of 6 full weeks, the caravan will be stationed at LPHU Bekaa office in Bar Elias, where 50 persons with disability aged 13 to 41, from neighboring villages and towns (Saouiri, Majd el Anjar, El Marj, Taalabaya, & El Dalhamiyeh) will benefit from 72 hours of training each, with the objective to provide target beneficiaries with the necessary skills to undertake administrative and financial office tasks in small and medium size enterprises.
A professional training will provide them with technical update, and market-responding skills will cut the vicious circle which people with disabilities are captured into. In the era of globalization and technology communication, a curriculum with the necessary skills to work (administrative and financial office tasks) is a necessary requirement to be employed in a small or medium size company. A proper background of knowledge and skills will thus allow people with disabilities, mainly youth, to increase their self-confidence in responding to any job announcement.

The training programme includes: Microsoft Windows XP, Word XP, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook Express & Internet, as well as writing CVs and preparing the participants for job interviews.
Upon completion of the 72-hour course, trainees will be entitled to a certificate delivered by Formatech, a Microsoft certified technical education centre.

 

Internship & recruitment opportunities
In conformity with its set objective to link training to employability, the “Accessibility Programme” 2004, through the LPHU Bekaa office has scheduled, in addition to its training activity, an awareness and mobilisation campaign targeting enterprises established in this part of the Bekaa Valley on the rights of people with disabilities, mainly in the area of employment. Companies were encouraged to offer internships or job opportunities to handicapped persons: a first step towards achieving their complete socio-economic integration as active and productive members of the Lebanese society.
The reaction of some institutions approached by LPHU was immediate and unequivocal: ‘Al-Mayss’ Hospital, the Municipality of ‘Bar Elias’ and companies such as ‘Lamartine’, ‘Efco’ and ‘Domanco’, spontaneously expressed their readiness to take one intern each, while ‘Conserves Chtaura’ offered two internship opportunities.

Thanks to the support of active municipalities, as well as to the participation of private companies motivated by community social development, such as An-Nahar, Bankers, Banque Saradar, Formatech, IDM, The Daily Star, Libairie Halim, Murex, L’Orient-Le Jour, Quantech-IBM and Sannine, the Saradar IT Programme has already held, between July 2002 and June 2004, a total of 2,154 training hours involving 1,691 participants.

For more information

For the “ LPHU ” : Ms. Sylvana Lakkis 01-666987
lphu@inco.com.lb
For “ Fondation Saradar ” : Mrs. Tania Helou 01-339012
fondation@saradar.org
http://fondation.saradar.org

THE LAW 220/2000
In May 2000, the Lebanese Parliament approved new legislation, Law No. 220, which secures basic rights for the disabled.
According to the Law disabled people have right to employment. The employment opportunities are enhanced by mentioning obligation for hiring disabled people. Art. 73 and 74 define the quota of disabled people that should be employed by public and private sector. Public sector shall appoint at least 3 per cent of the global number of positions in the different categories to disabled persons. On the private sector, the enterprises that have an employee capacity among 30 to 60 are obliged to employ one disabled person if he/she qualifies and meets the working conditions should employ one disabled person. If the capacity of Private Sector Company surpasses 60 employees the number of disabled should be at least the 3 per cent of the total number of workers.

A penalty is also set in the article for companies that do not employ disabled persons. The penalty amount has to be paid to the Ministry of Labor and will be four times the minimum basic salary for every unemployed disabled person. The employer is exempted of the penalty if he presents to the Ministry of Social Affairs with the documents certifying that the employers presented a request to the Ministry of Labor to hire a disabled persons, but there were not qualified persons available three month from the submission of the demand.

In case the private sector employs more disabled persons it will benefit from a reduction on the income tax calculated at the minimum basic salary on every additional disabled employee declared by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Therefore, Law No.220 recognizes to disabled people unemployed and that are meeting certain conditions an Unemployment Social Security, calculated as 75 per cent of minimum salary range.

Law No. 220 recognized also the right of disabled children to education. This right is set out also by the education (No 686, 1998) and in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). According to the CRC, education should help disabled children achieve social integration. Although disabled children have specially protected rights to education, international studies show that disabled people have less education and fewer qualifications than the general population.