We joined the “Active for inclusion” network, with other organizations that advocate work and employment of persons with disabilities. @CIRA started this network, we are cooperating with CIRA since 2018. We visited them and saw for ourselves that there are people who work for those in need, similar to us. They also visited us, so they could see what we were doing. Sometimes we feel like “we’re all alone in the world” because the language we speak is not understood by the environment in which we live. Our colleagues also received additional education, in accordance with a verified program for providing support to PWDs at work, within the framework of this cooperation in Zagreb. They had their education entered in the e-book. This means that they can make an assessment of the needs of PWDs and make reasonable adjustments to the workplace. This also means that they can provide high-quality training for mentors in companies, or be professional assistants to support the work of PWDs.
When we try to speak up about these issues in our community, many people in our environment (from officials to employers and citizens) “stare blankly” at us, because they do not understand what it is all about.
All the while, the legal and strategic framework of public policies recognized measures to equalize opportunities for PWDs, but as we like to say, “it did not take root”; there are few good examples and these are insufficiently recognized. We have a lot of work to do to make employers aware of all the reasons why it is positive to be a socially responsible employer, and to hire persons with disabilities, instead of paying penalty fees for failing to meet the quota stipulated by law, or why it is positive, from a business point of view also, to enable them to work.
CIRS is a positive example of how PWDs can be included in the world of work in the Republic of Croatia, and we have been convincing our employers of this fact since our foundation. We invite employers from the PGŽ area to cooperate with us and they will get great workers, while we will make sure to train them for work and give them support.
Marko Filipovic, Robert Matic, Primorsko-goranska County, Grad Rijeka, Teklić, Kanal Ri, HRT – Radio Rijeka
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