Fostering employment through sheltered workshops and training services

The present study assesses the situation of sheltered workshops across
the EU at present, especially with regard to article 27 of the UNCRPD.
It then explores in detail the situation in seven countries: Czech
Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. In
terms of legal frameworks, the clearest requirements for sheltered
workshops come from the UN through the UN CPRD and General Comment n.8.
These, in combination with previous UN praxis in recommendations to
Member States, have delineated an increasingly critical view of the
sector, up to the point of recommending its phasing out. With regard to
sheltered workshops in practice, this study found that across the EU,
there are insufficient, or poorly suited, policy measures to encourage
mainstream employers to hire persons with disabilities. This, coupled
with unfavourable conditions in the open labour market as well as
extensive financial support from the state for sheltered labour market
participants, is contributing to the growth of the sheltered labour
market. This study makes a number of recommendations to the actors
involved.