Diversity. A word so present in the lives of thousands of people today. With it comes a theme that is being debated around the world: social inclusion. We may consider the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), 12/03, an important moment to think and discuss about how the labor market has received these professionals, who need so much to be socially inserted and accepted. According to a research conducted by the Ministry of Labor, in April this year, there are more than 45 million people with some kind of disability in Brazil. Among them, 30 million are already of working age, however, only 19 million reported having some occupation. Therefore, the barriers are still big.
Social inclusion in the labor market is key. It increases tolerance, helps to live in society, brings more cultural background and enables empathy. Workers with disabilities should not only be seen as part of a “charity" project or part of a quota, but as a real member of the company, and so, organizations need to be prepared to receive these people by working with teams and adapting the work environment structures.
The presence of professionals with disabilities in the labor market has grown in the country. A survey by the Ministry of Labor revealed that in 2018, the number of people with disabilities hiring hit a record in Brazil, with more than 46.9 thousand professionals entering the labor market, a 20.6% increase over 2017. Last year's figures are the highest since 2003, when they began to be recorded.
REGULATION
Today, the country has the
Brazilian Law of Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (Law 13146/15) which aims to “ensure and promote, on an equal basis, the exercise of
fundamental rights and freedoms by persons with disabilities, with the goal of
their social inclusion and citizenship”. And part of the MTE survey result is a
consequence of the quota law, which requires companies with more than 100
employees to have 2% to 5% persons with disabilities on their teams. For the
public service, the law stipulates that up to 20% of public contests places for
disabled people be reserved.
NEW LOOK
Neoenergia, as a socially responsible company and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, through Celpe ,developed the Novo Olhar (New Look in English) Program, an initiative that enables people with intellectual disabilities with professional and psychosocial experience.
To achieve concrete results, Celpe has structured a professional environment that covers the most diverse areas of learning for a person with intellectual disabilities. The goal of the project is to transform the corporate environment into an inclusive and aggregating experience for these professionals.
During the period in the company, 25% of their time is devoted to activities to stimulate logical thinking, language, understanding, planning and operational routine. In addition, they are accompanied daily by a multidisciplinary team focused on development, results and innovation. The Murakami Methodology of individualized and personalized learning is also applied by the project and allows to develop cognition and expand intellectual capacity, encouraging them to go beyond the simple fulfillment of corporate tasks.
“The initiative has been developed for over two years and young people are performing well in the tasks they execute", says Daniela Motta, Human Resources Manager at Celpe.
SIMPLE ACTIONS
Did you know that social inclusion in the job market could happen with simple but daily work actions, in addition to the compliance with laws? Check out:
Analyze the company accessibility: structure, elevators, ramps, bathrooms and mobility in the rooms, for example;
Invite speakers who can talk with employees about social inclusion with ownership;
Review the company employees hiring process and their communication tools;
Put social inclusion as part of company values. It can even be a social indicator, which should be continuously analyzed;
Prepare managers to know how to make the work environment more inclusive.