Disability and Equity at Work

Despite international and national guarantees of equal rights, there remains a great deal to be done to achieve global employment equality for individuals with disabilities. In OECD countries, the employment rate of persons with disabilities was just over 40%, compared to 75% for persons without a disability; in many low- and middle-income countries, the employment rates are even lower. There are numerous reasons why persons with disabilities fare poorly in the labor market; Disability and Equity at Work is the first book to document what can be done to improve this imbalance. Chapters in this volume address all relevant facets of this topic and include: · Extensive examination of the factors contributing to inequitable access to work among persons with disability · Analysis of the economic benefits of increasing employment equity · Successful employment strategies at every stage of a worker's career · Evidence-based recommendations and in-depth case studies of innovative policies and programs around the world Chapter contributors include leaders from international organizations, government, civil society, and academia, including experts from UN agencies, leaders in nongovernmental advocacy and research organizations, and senior academics in the field. Disability and Equity at Work fills a needed gap that will appeal to those interested in and engaged in public policy, global health, equal rights, business, labor, and other fields.

Jody Heymann is Dean and Distinguished Professor of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Heymann was the Founding Director of the Institute for Health and Social Policy at McGill University. Michael Ashley Stein is co-founder and Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, as well as Cabell Professor at William & Mary Law School. He has taught at Harvard, New York University, and Stanford law schools. Gonzalo Moreno coordinates a large-scale international research and training project that seeks to understand how social policy affects infant, child and maternal health outcomes primarily in low- and middle-income countries.