The Trust for the Americas – Mexico/ Peru/ Ecuador/ El Salvador

PROBLEMS TARGETED

The high unemployment rate of persons with disabilities in Latin America is partially due to the reluctance of companies to hire persons with disabilities. The fear of high related costs and complicated solutions for their inclusion in the labour force are the major reasons.

PROJECT

The guide offers low to no-cost solutions that give persons with disabilities barrier-free access to the workplace, often using existing in-house resources. For example, floors with different textures can provide guidance to a blind person’s need to orient himself. To generate effective and affordable solutions, employers are trained to interact with the surrounding community and with the persons with disabilities to define
and build the accessibility solutions together.

CURRENT SITUATION & OUTLOOK

It is essential to develop a culture of frank and open dialogue within the company to overcome fears and develop innovative solutions together. Training and presentations of hard facts and soft skills are provided to interested companies and HR managers throughout Latin America. The guide is now used and distributed by a network of inclusive employers, including the 667 companies that participated in the project. The guide is editable and its format allows for adjustments and additions on a country-by-country basis. It is planned eventually to expand the guide to 21 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The guide illustrates various low or no-cost solutions for companies to enable the inclusion
of persons with disabilities in the workplace.