This module provides helpful tips for using this Guide to maximize the learning experience and potential impact on achieving equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities through legislation.
This Education and Training Guide has been designed to support improved capacity of governments and social partners of select countries to design, implement and evaluate legislation that effectively supports equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Toward that end, educators and trainers are being provided this resource Guide to assist them in equipping individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates, policy makers, legislators, social partners, individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates and other key individuals to achieve a positive legislative impact.
Course Context
As an educator and/or trainer you have an ability to impact the development of legislation and policies that positively affect equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities by creating and offering learning experiences that support development in this area. While you may not directly bring about specific legislative or policy changes, the individuals you teach and train may have that direct influence. Affecting positive changes in the area of equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities can occur on several different levels through: modification and enhancement of current law; development of new legislation; and/or development or modification of regulations, policies, or procedures to implement specific laws. Whatever the level that individuals in your classrooms may currently occupy they may now be, or in the future may be, in positions to promote these opportunities. The key is in knowing how to take advantage of teaching opportunities and to equip individual course participants with the information they need to promote an equal employment opportunity agenda. This Education and Training Guide provides seven modules to assist you in accomplishing those ends.
Module One:
Equips you, the instructor, to use the Guide and to maximize and measure its teaching and impact on course participants.
Module Two:
Explores current trends in disability legislation, including basic principles surrounding the concept of disability and the context of basic human rights.
Module Three:
Reviews non-discrimination legislation including the scope of disability law, types of discrimination and the concept of reasonable accommodation.
Module Four:
Provides an overview of quota systems including both binding and non-binding approaches, and tips for making quotas work in practice.
Module Five:
Presents an outline for the planning of implementation and specific provisions for consideration, including transportation and specialized equipment.
Module Six:
Suggests helpful strategies for drafting legislation and policy, and for involving critical stakeholders to support the process.
Module Seven:
Considers how laws and policies should be enforced including monitoring and evaluating compliance, and utility of the law.
As an instructor, what you decide to teach and how you decide to design the learning experience will depend on the audience you will be training and the outcomes which you are seeking. As you consider potential course participants, make sure to include policy makers; Governments, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, legislators/parliamentarians; other community groups; constituency organizations like community rehabilitation programmes; state agency representatives; governmental representatives; disability groups and associations; parent groups and associations; trade associations; and business groups. All these groups have a role to play in equal employment opportunities and should be involved in affecting positive legislative changes in this area.
