AEPVI

Project aim

This partnership aims to improve the employment situation of people with vision impairment by sharing best practice experiences of integration strategies and services, amongst professionals working in the field of education and vocational training. Considering that the access to work is an essential factor for successful inclusion into society, the transfer and adaptation of effective integration strategies is reasonable.

Regarding the fact, that in the EU an average of 75% of blind people in their working age is unemployed, the exchange of experiences is overdue. The organisations within the partnership provide employment support services for people with vision impairment. The services provided comprise some or all of various professionals including: rehabilitation workers; assistive technology trainers; psychologists; and employment support workers. However there is no standard practice established in relation of employment support. Some work in partnership with employers, mainstream training/education institutions, trade unions etc. Others provide specialised adapted training while others do not engage with any of the above. The aim of our partnership is to create a state of art comprehensive information resource on the various employment support services for people with vision impairment in Europe.

Project strategy

The partnership will support the exchanges between professionals working in the access of employment for people with vision impairment. The objectives are to know more about practices of professionals abroad, in the countries of the partnership. All the partners have the same objective: To enable more people with vision impairment to access jobs in the mainstream labour market. Our practices are different from a country to an other. Some partners are more focused on the rehabilitation activities to give more autonomy to people with vision impairment ; some partners are working directly with labor agencies or specialised institutions for the access to employment of people with disabilities.

Our services give a real benefit for people as regards accessibility to employment but many practices are not known. There are many good practices in Europe. Therefore the objective of this partnership is to compare our legal, administrative and financial contexts, as well as the activities and practices undertaken in for people with vision impairment in this field, to create a guideline of good practices. This will enable many organisations (labor agencies, companies, etc.) to know more about what our services can offer for people with vision impairment as well as for companies who may employ people with vision impairment . It will provide professionals with access to information about many good practices, and offer a possiblity to improve their own work practice to support people with vision impairment in relation to employment. To disseminate this knowledge within the partner countries, the partnership meetings will offer a public session, where stakeholders in the field of employment services, employers association and umbrella organization for the target group will be invited.