The Youth with Disabilities Forum, as a leading organization in the field of employment of persons with disabilities over the past 20 years, addresses the public with the aim of highlighting the importance of preserving and improving measures that encourage the employment of persons with disabilities. The proposed amendments to the law, which envisage the abolition of incentives for employers, raise serious concerns about the potential deterioration of the position of persons with disabilities in the labor market.

Persons with disabilities continue to face numerous barriers in employment, which is why incentives for employers are of exceptional importance. The abolition of incentive measures further reduces employment opportunities, deepens social exclusion, and at the same time effectively creates savings at the expense of one of the most vulnerable groups in society.

Bearing in mind the extremely unfavorable position of persons with disabilities in the field of work, we believe that not only is it unjustified to abolish the existing support measures, but it is also necessary to improve them – through better targeting, increased funding, and the introduction of new mechanisms to encourage employment. It is equally important to establish systematic monitoring of the effects of these measures, prevent potential abuses, and regularly publish data on the outcomes.

We call on the competent institutions to reconsider and reject the proposed amendments to the law, and to ensure a stable support system in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which we are also a signatory.

Sincerely,
The Youth with Disabilities Forum Team