Executive Summary
This summary aims to present the main statistical findings from the study
carried out by the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR)
within the framework of its national inquiry with regard to the rights
of persons with disability (PWDs) in the occupied Palestinian territories
(OPT). This study sheds light on the impediments and obstacles before
integration of persons with disability into the labor market. It also sheds
light on the attitudes of employers towards employment of PWDs.
•
The study was mainly based on quantitative research conducted
with two questionnaires. The first questionnaire covered a sample of
(1420) PWDs and the second covered (200) employers1.
•
The rate of unemployment among the respondents of the PWDs was
78% during the period of the study while the rate of respondents
of the same category who are employed amounted to 22%. 57% of
respondents from the same category have never worked.
•
19% of the respondents of PWDs worked in the past, but presently
have no work. The study indicated that the work of PWDs in the public
sector or NGOs is linked to temporary projects. These projects are
designated to employ PWDs in NGOs while the public sector employs
them on the basis of the terms of unemployment and/or per diem
system. Meanwhile, the private sector doesn’t link their employment
to definite periods or terms.
•
The study indicated that one of the main reasons for PWDs to quit
their work is due to their only being employed on short-term, contractbased work for a definite period of time. Secondary reasons include
absence of tools/mechanisms for assistance, lack of accommodation
for their needs in the workplace, difficulty accessing their workplace
and lack of opportunity for promotion.
Type of Disability and Employment
•
People with physical disability had the best labor market outcomes
1
For more on the study’s methodology and selection of the sample, see annex (1).
3