Employment Policy for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Poland: Challenges and Realities

1. The employment policy and vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland: life politics, emancipation or apparent actions? Agnieszka Woynarowska University of Gdańsk Lille 2018

2. Introduction Can we really claim that Poland has an employment policy and a cohesive vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities?

3. Introduction

4. Employment and Disability. Analysis of vocational experience of people with intellectual disabilities in Poland. • The research material was collected, in 24 workplaces(in sheltered employment workshops, social cooperatives, supported employment centers) • by means of in-depth interviews (about 180), discourse analysis, observation and field notes.

5. What is employment policy?

7. What vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities do we offer now?

9. Thereconstruction of the experiences of persons involved in a work situation (work trainers, people with intellectual disabilities, project/employment coordinators). • What is the situation on the labour market? • lack of employers willing to hire people with intellectual disabilities. “For 16 years, Janusz has been the supervisor of the occupational therapy workshop in Puck. He attempted to push people with intellectual disabilities to enter the open labour market, however, they would come back like a boomerang, no one would employ them. They require constant supervision and support. No employer can afford to provide such a thing, despite wage subsidies. The efficiency of such person is much lower, stereotypes prevail, people are cautious and feel uncomfortable when working with person with intellectual disabilities.” ( The founder of the Cooperative Brewery in Puck)

11. “After graduating from a special vocational school, our children weren’t offered any support. They would end up sitting at home with a remote control in their hands." (The founder of the social cooperative - Cafe in Warsaw)

13. * The labour market is slowly opening up to the employment of people with intellectual disabilities, but the problem is that employers want to employ people with a disability certificate but expect from them the quality of work as high as of regular workers. "I went to work as a gardener. I worked there for a month. They didn’t want me. I didn’t like it there. Because I had to do things quickly, quickly while I prefer doing things slowly and accurately" (Currently,the employee of a social cooperative - Cafe in Warsaw)

14. * There are not enough workplaces in the sheltered labour market. "In order for someone to be able to get out of the occupational therapy workshop, you need to create workplaces. In Poznań the sheltered employment workshophas never been established despite efforts, so there is no place to send the people." (The founder of the social cooperative – Good-Cafe in Poznań)

16. What is the reality of Social Cooperatives? • financial difficulties and struggle to keep on the market

17. “We employ people, who have had a very tough time in the open labour market, either finding no job at all, or losing their former jobs. Working with people with intellectual disabilities is quite specific, one must often correct their mistakes, and it doesn’t always pay off financially. Additionally, people are cautious when dealing with such cooperatives, they have to learn to trust them. We are constantly struggling financially.” ( The manager of a social cooperative in Jarosław)

18. * the reception of their services and products by clients “We were afraid that there would be nobody willing to drink beer made by the intellectually disabled.” (The founder of the Cooperative Brewery in Puck) „Haters commented: They will drool, stink, put their fingers in the soup. However, they accepted us as normal people providing high-quality services." (The founder of the social cooperative- Good- Cafe in Poznań)

19. What is the reality of Sheltered Employment Workshops?

20. What is the reality of Supported EmploymentProjects? • Projects financing and its continuity

21. “Continuity of support is a priority. The people need to get support. If you leave an employee with an intellectual disability without the support of a work trainer, he will lose the job and will end up with nothing.”(The coordinator of supported employment projects, Polish Association for People with IntellectualDisabilities, Warsaw) "We cannot give up supporting the employed people with disabilities, but what do we do when we don’t have the financing for two months? The system requires, but does not help.(The coordinator of supported employment projects, Polish Association for People with IntellectualDisabilities, Gdańsk)

22. * the uncertainty of support and employment which is also difficult for employes with intellectual disabilities “For now, I have this job until March. These are such cleaning works. Agency for supported employment has just searched for me. And what will happen next?” (The employee with intellectualdisability)

23. The employment policy and vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland: life politics, emancipation or apparent actions?

28. „I work on Fridays, once a week. I go to work, to Communityself-helphome and I’m a volunteer. We have this project the ActiveVoluntary Work in Sopot. We help others, for free, without any money involved. We provide help during various events.I made my own adult decision, to do something. Maybe, I will do something for Sopot. It is my manly decisions, to go further, not stay in one place, to do something for myself.” (The employee with intellectualdisability)

29. Thank you for your attention a.woynarowska@ug.edu.pl