WINTER 2015
Newsletter of the Association for Self Advocacy
Topic of the issue:
Issue 17
Work and employment of persons with intellectual disabilities
EDITORIAL Dear readers, first I want to wish you all the best in 2015. I hope your year began nicely. One of the topics that really interest all persons with disabilities is work and employment. The topic of work and employment of persons with disabilities is not discussed enough. So we decided to dedicate the new issue of Voice of Self-Advocates to this subject.
WORK AND EMPLOYMENT
Editor Senada Halilčević Journalists Hrvoje Forner Snježana Kanjir Fadil Špuren Nera Bajzec Gordana Huzek Tomislav Ivašković Assistants Ana Širić Ivana Poslon Hrvoj Damjan Janjušević Mladen Katanić This newsletter was supported by a grant from the Open Society Fundations.
All people have the right to work. Work gives people a sense of value and self-respect. Other people will also respect us more if we work hard and do well. Through work we meet new people and learn new skills. Also, the work helps us to live independently making our own decisions. People usually look for jobs through ads. We can see ads: on the Internet in newspapers on the labour market In the ads is written information about available jobs and about knowledge that a worker must have in order to get a job.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
For example, if the ad says that some school searches a history professor then the person seeking the job must have a degree in history. There are jobs for which you do not need to have a degree. For example: cleaning declaration labelling stacking of products on the shelves in a store or a warehouse All of these jobs you can find on an open labour market. Open labour market consist of employers offering a job and workers seeking an employment. When people are employed they receive a salary. Salary is money that we get for done work. With money we can buy things that we need. A person is employed if he or she signs an labour contract. The labour contract can sign a person with full legal capacity. Persons deprived of legal capacity are unable to sign the contract. A legal guardian decides on signing of the contract instead of them. Persons with intellectual disabilities need support in finding a job and in the workplace. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren
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THE SITUATION IN CROATIA It is difficult for persons with intellectual disabilities to get employed in Croatia because they: do not have a chance to finish regular school and to select a profession of their choice do not have the legal capacity and therefore cannot sign a labour contract employers often think that persons with intellectual disabilities are less able workers do not have enough support in searching for a job Employed persons with intellectual disabilities also face many problems: salary they earn in the workplace is often less than the family pension some people who work and live in supportive housing program must give all the salary they earn for the service they receive. This means that they end up having no money for personal needs. persons with disabilities work on lower paid jobs than persons without disabilities lack of support in the workplace Because of these problems, many people do not want to be employed. The state should make better laws which would help persons with intellectual disabilities to get employed more easily. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
LAW ON OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Croatia has recently adopted new Law on occupational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities. Intention of this law is to help increasing employment of persons with disabilities. Many persons with disabilities need occupational rehabilitation. Occupational rehabilitation means retraining for work. According to this law, all persons with disabilities registered at the Department of Employment are entitled to occupational rehabilitation. Some of the steps in the process of occupational rehabilitation are: determination of work capacity Work capacity is the person’s ability to do a job. providing information and advices on what the person can do providing information on jobs available in the labour market and how much are they paid improving the knowledge and skills or training for new jobs providing information on new ways of learning providing information and support with paying courses According to this law employer must adapt a workplace so that persons with disabilities could perform their jobs well. Law says that every company which employs 20 or more workers must employ at least 1 person with disability. Voice of Self-Advocates
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If companies do not comply with this rule they must pay a penalty of 120 € a month. Money from the penalties will be used to help in employment of persons with disabilities. According to this law employed persons with disabilities have a one month longer notice period than the persons without disabilities. Notice period is the time period that employer must give to his employee before his employment ends. Also, persons with disabilities have the right to one week longer holiday than persons without disabilities. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren Source: Law on occupational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYMENT How to search a job? After finishing school, or when they lose their job people can apply to the Department of Employment. Their task is finding jobs for unemployed people.
HRVATSKI ZAVOD ZA ZAPOŠLJAVANJE
Also, you can search for the job over the ads. You can find ads in the newspapers and on the Internet. When you find ad for the job that you are interested in, you can apply to this ad. This means that you need to send job application and your resume to employer. Job application is reply to ad in which you need to write for which workplace you are applying for
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and why would you be good for that job. Resume or curriculum vitae is a text in which you write some of your personal data. These are the name, address and telephone number, school you graduated from and list of your previous workplaces. You should also write job skills and experiences that you have. What is a job interview? If the employer find that some of the job applications and resumes are appropriate for the work position then those persons may be invited to a job interview. Job interview is a conversation in which the person who wants a job presents itself and the employer talk about responsibilities and tasks in the workplace. What is an employment contract? When a person gets a job than he or she should sign the employment contract. If a person is deprived of legal capacity than the guardian can sign the contract. In the employment contract are written rights and obligations that the employee and the employer have. What does it mean “to work as a professional”? To work as a professional means to do the job for which you are trained. For example, if a person went to hairdressing school and works as a hairdresser then we say that the person works as a professional. Or if a person went to school for assistant cook and works in the kitchen then we say that that person work as a professional. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren Voice of Self-Advocates
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INTERVIEWS Nera Bajzec, self-advocate My name is Nera Bajzec and I live in Zagreb. I went to a special school, but only up to 7. grade. Then my mother signed me out of school and I did not even go to high school. She thought that because of intellectual disabilities I cannot go to school. I'm sorry that I did not finish school, but what can I do, I cannot change that. I work in the Work centre. There I make embroideries. I did not sign the contract. I know that this is not the real job. Before, I lived in institution in ViĹĄegrad, small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Then the war started and my mother pulled me out of there. I went to live in an institution Bratski Dolac near Ĺ ibenik. There I sewed linen sheets, and pillow cases. I was good at that. But this was not the real job because I have not signed an employment contract and I did not get real salary than just allowance. I never had a real job. I would like to have a job and earn a salary. I would like to have a job that includes ironing and sewing. I learned to use a sewing machine. Until now I have never myself looking for a job because I do not know where and how to do it. I think my support could help me in job search. I think that is very hard for persons with intellectual disabilities to get a job.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
Đurđica Nukić, self-advocate My employment begins when I apply to the public tender for municipal workers. When I have looked for work, I had help from my adviser and coordinator. First I worked one month on probation and when I satisfy their requirements then they hired me at first 3 months period and again at second 3 months period and now for a year. I have full legal capacity and I myself signed the employment contract. When I first started working I had to give my whole salary to Ministry of Social Policy and Youth because they provide money for my housing and utilities. I fought for my right to live independently and in November of 2014th I came out from supported living program and now I live on my own. I also fought for my right that all my salary remains to me and now I control my money. Every day I wake up at 5 in the morning. It is not difficult for me to get up for work. At work I go by bus which goes from Čakovec at 6:45. I work as a municipal worker in the waste sorting station in Prelog. Sorting station is place where different types of waste are classified. In particular, we separate paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, carton, lantern. After that, everything is pressed in special presses. My job is classification different types of waste.
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I do not have work assistant but I have assistant at home. With me in the apartment live two roommates. Assistants are providing us with support for 2 hours a day and they help us to learn how to be more independent and to learn how to perform all the tasks ourselves. I have finished a three-year school for tailor. I could not find a job so I decide to educate more. I went to the course for eco-gardener and the training of auxiliary painter. In addition, I went to the training for assistant cook. It was my great wish to work as a cook assistant and for a long time I was looking for such a job. Unfortunately I was not able to find that kind of job because in all the ads I seek they were searching workers with at least a couple months of experience.
I enjoy at my job and I feel really good. I have many friends who support me. Employers are also very good and the environment is worker-friendly. I have time to cook and do all the household chores. I work full time, 8 hours a day, that is why I’m pretty tired when I get to home. Nevertheless, I am very happy and satisfied. I would like that my firm hire me permanently. In that way so I could become completely independent in life. This is my wish!
Marijana Janković, prof. def-rehabilitator My name is Marijana Janković and I work in the Centre for rehabilitation Zagreb, subsidiary Paunovac. I have been dealing with supported employment of persons with intellectual disabilities for 13 years.
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Supported employment refers to carrying out various jobs with the support from an assistant if it is necessary. The person receives certain remuneration for this work. It is not necessary that the person who is trying to get a job has the work experience because the training is being done at the job post. The training at the work place is a good way of learning new skills for some persons. Nowadays it is hard for everybody to get a job in Croatia, but it is not impossible. I know persons with intellectual disabilities who have managed to find a job even in these crisis times. It is very hard for persons with greater intellectual disabilities to get a job. In my opinion, the main reason is the lack of adequate support. If a person is deprived of legal capacity sometimes it is impossible to get a job because some guardians do not want to sign an employment contract. Guardians do not want to sign a contract because they fear the loss of certain rights under the social care system. Employers want to employ persons with intellectual disabilities. To them it does not matter whether the person has intellectual disabilities or not. What matters to them is whether the person does well the job for which is paid for. The attitude of employers on the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities has significantly improved. Before, employers had a lot less of information but today employment of persons with disabilities is a common topic.
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According to my experience, agreements regarding certain adaptations of work place can be made with employers. For example, agreements regarding work time and the ways of doing the job. Unfortunately, employers usually do not want to introduce greater adaptations that require spending of their money and time. The state provides more and more help to employers who employ persons with disabilities. The majority of employers that employ persons with intellectual disabilities does not do it to get help from the state, but rather because they really want to employ a person with disability. Unfortunately, the state does not care enough about employment of persons with severe disabilities. Persons with severe disabilities are mainly in the social care system. Common thought is that they have to realize their rights through that system which does not include open labour market. ZABAVNIK
Not all persons want to get a job and that is fine. The problem is that there a persons with intellectual disabilities that want to get a job but which never had the opportunity to get acquainted with the open labour market. No one prepared the majority of persons with disabilities that they would work one day. Persons with intellectual disabilities can get support in the work place through programs carried out by associations and public institutions. Work support is paid by the user and the organization carrying out the employment program. The smaller part is paid by the user and the bigger one by the organization carrying out the employment program. Persons with intellectual disabilities can get employed by signing the labour contract.
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If the persons is deprived of legal capacity then the contract can be signed by the person’s legal guardian. If the person cannot get employed then the person can engage in the occupational activities in some company. According to my experience, other workers do not discriminate their colleagues with intellectual disabilities. Persons with intellectual disabilities are very well accepted on the job because they are good and hard workers. Persons with intellectual disabilities register at the Department of employment. Unemployed persons who seek job over Department of employment have the best chances to get a job in the first year after becoming unemployed. If the person does not get employed during the first year after losing the job, the person incurs the danger of long lasting unemployment. It is important to say that persons with intellectual disabilities are very good at performing simple jobs. During the training for a job persons with intellectual disabilities need support. Some persons need support while working. With good support provided, persons have a great chance to stay employed for a long time. Unfortunately, besides being deprived of legal capacity persons with intellectual disabilities are often deprived of their work capacity. Work capacity relates to whether the persons has the health and physical ability to perform a job. Especially often the work capacity is taken away from persons with intellectual disabilities who live in their families. People think they will realize some rights from the social care system if they lose work capacity.
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The most important thing in getting and keeping a job is support. The support is provided by work assistant and the manager of the employment program with support. With good support even persons with greater intellectual disabilities can work and contribute. The support can help in finding a job or adapting the workplace or in doing the job. The support sometimes help in preparing for a job. For example, if somebody needs to be taken to a work place or if the persons does not know to read the clock then the support tells him or her when is the time to go to work. With good support almost every persons with intellectual disabilities could do some work tasks or be employed on an open labour market. All interviews held by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren.
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Newsletter of the Association for Self-Advocacy
NEWS ZERO PROJECT 2015 CONFERENCE Association for self-advocates participated at the Zero Project 2015 Conference. This project deals with the rights of persons with disabilities in all world. The title of the conference was Living independently and being included in the community. It was held in Vienna on 26 and 27 February 2015. This event was attended by around 500 participants from over 70 countries. On that occasion our association received a certificate from Zero Project for implementing successful and innovative practice of advocating for the right to vote of persons deprived of legal capacity. The certificate was received by the Association for Self-Advocacy’s President. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren. EDUCATION ON VIDEO-ACTIVISM Association for Self-Advocacy organized an education on video-activism. The education consists of 3 workshops each lasting 2 days. Special attention is given to writing a story, editing and techniques of filming a documentary film. The lecturers at the workshops are Jasenko Rasol, Davor Švaic, Enes Redžic, Branimir Hainš and Diana Dugandžija with the main lecturer Tomislav Žaja. The participants at the education are self-advocates and assistants from Belišće, Dugo Selo, Osijek, Slavonski Brod, Pakrac, Pule and Zagreba. Written by: Hrvoje Forner, Senada Halilčević, Tomislav Ivašković, Snježana Kanjir, Mladen Katanić, Ana Širić and Fadil Špuren. Voice of Self-Advocates
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FUN PAGES QUIZ 1 What is the name of public institution that helps in employment?
HRVATSKI ZAVOD ZA ZAPOŠLJAVANJE
a) Department for Employment
b) Police
c) Emergency
2 Where do you collect your salary?
a) at a marketplace
b) in a bank
c) in a coffeshop
3 What is the name of a man who helps the persons with disabilities to work
a) work assistant
b) secretary
c) soldier
GOGA’S RIDDLE Where the best vine is? On a tongue.
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QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 On Saturday 28 March 2015 fifth round of qualifications for the European Football Championship 2016 was played. In the group H Croatia played with Norway. We won with great 5 to 1. Brozović, Perišić, Olić, Schildenfeld i Pranjić scored the goals for Croatia. Unfortunately, Vedran Ćorluka earned the second yellow card in 74 min and had to leave the game. Because of this he will not play in the next game which we play against Italy on 12 June 2015. In this round in our group Azerbaijan beated Malta with 2 to 0, and Bulgaria and Italy played a tie with 2 to 2. After 5 played games we are a half way through the qualifications. Croatia is the first in the group H. Till the end of qualifications we still have to play with Italy, Azerbaijan, Norway, Bulgaria and Malta. Written by Nera Bajzec
CONTACT US
Bleiweisova 15, 10 000 Zagreb Telephone: 01 553 05 82, Fax: 01 553 05 56 E- mail: kontakt@samozastupanje.hr Visit our web site: www.samozastupanje.hr or visit us on Facebook
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