Disability, Work and Inclusion in Ireland
Engaging and Supporting Employers
Across OECD countries, one in seven working-age adults identifies as having a disability.
Many are excluded from meaningful work and have low levels of income and active social
engagement. Becoming sick or disabled often leads people to leave the labour market
even if they maintain work capacity and willingness to work. Governments and employers
can help create an environment that prevents sickness and disability, promotes return-to-work
and enables persons with disabilities to thrive in their job. The COVID-19 pandemic
and its toll on physical and mental health has made the creation of an enabling environment
more important than ever. This report proposes policy recommendations to the Irish
government to improve the participation of persons with disabilities. Ireland has
one of the highest disability employment gaps in OECD countries. Disability employment
policy has seen significant improvement in the past decade but the reforms have not
produced the desired results. This report shows that engaging employers is critically
important to getting and keeping persons with disabilities in work. It also highlights
the importance of further structural change and accessible and sufficiently resourced
public employment and adult learning services to create a labour market that works
for all – including for persons with disabilities.
Published on September 22, 2021