Inclusive Employment Must Go Beyond Hiring People With Disabilities

ILO Labour Market Services Officer Zulum Avila said most digital employment tools remain focused on service access, job searches, training and candidate matching.

Public employment services can improve labour market inclusion for persons with disabilities by supporting people throughout their working lives, rather than treating recruitment as the final measure of success. This wider approach includes career preparation, accessible job matching, skills development, reasonable accommodation, job retention and opportunities to progress into more rewarding roles.

That message emerged from the Disability Employment Package Mutual Learning Seminar for Employment Services, held in Berlin on 1–2 September 2026. Organized by the European Network of Public Employment Services, the event brought together employment agencies, organizations representing persons with disabilities and frontline practitioners to discuss ways of creating better and more sustainable employment outcomes.

Different countries already define progress in ways that reflect this broader journey. Finland considers greater autonomy and movement towards the mainstream labour market to be valuable outcomes, while Estonia tracks skills development, workplace adaptation, placement and sustained employment. These experiences recognize that each person may begin from a different position and need support at several points before and after entering work.

Support should reflect each person's strengths and needs

Inclusive employment services do not always require separate programmes for people with disabilities. Mainstream services can be strengthened with individual assistance and specialist knowledge based on each jobseeker's circumstances, capabilities and career goals.

Germany has developed vocational psychological services and engineering expertise to help with workplace adjustments. Sweden's approach recognizes that a disability does not automatically determine whether someone can perform a particular job, placing greater attention on skills, development potential and the support required for success. Belgium's Actiris has also identified less visible barriers, including hearing loss among young people who may not know that their condition is affecting communication, training or engagement with employment services.

Employment agencies need strong partnerships because they cannot provide every form of assistance alone. Employers, health and social services, training providers, disability organizations and specialized professionals can combine their knowledge around the needs of workers and businesses. Practical workplace measures may include automated captioning, assistive technologies, accessible onboarding, flexible working arrangements and adapted equipment.

Support for jobseekers also needs to be matched by action with employers. Actiris uses diversity plans, financial incentives and assistance with reasonable accommodation, while France's Handimatch connects candidates with disabilities to employers committed to inclusive recruitment. Germany's compensatory levy supports labour market participation when employers do not meet statutory disability-employment requirements, though the Federal Employment Agency stressed that increasing employment remains the real objective, not collecting payments.

Digital tools must support people after they are hired

The International Labour Organization brought a global perspective to the seminar, drawing partly on experience from the PROSPECTS Opportunity Fund Digital Accelerator, which explores digital employment opportunities for refugees and host communities facing several barriers to work, including disability.

ILO Labour Market Services Officer Zulum Avila said most digital employment tools remain focused on service access, job searches, training and candidate matching. Far less evidence is available on their use for reasonable accommodation, employee retention and career advancement, making workplace support an important area for future development.

Greece is testing artificial intelligence for skills-based job matching, while Germany has explored smart glasses and digital work instructions that can help people carry out workplace tasks more independently. These technologies could expand participation when they are designed around real needs and introduced with proper human guidance.

Digitalization can also produce fresh barriers when accessibility is treated as an optional feature. Employment platforms, training systems and workplace technologies should include accessible design from the beginning, supported by tools such as automated captioning and assistive software. Features created for persons with disabilities frequently make services easier for older workers, people with temporary health conditions and anyone facing communication or learning barriers.