News

  • 2008 WORKABILITY INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN SAPPORO

Developing the Future Workability of Six Hundred Million 
Hosted by Workability International Japan
9th –11th September 2008
Sapporo, Hokkaido, JAPAN, Sapporo Prince Hotel
Nishi 11 Chome, Minami 2 Jyo, Chuoku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, 060-8615, Japan  

For questions and inquiries regarding the conference, please contact: 
Kaoru Araki (araki@selp.or.jp) or Tsuyumi Nakamura (asia-wi@selp.or.jp) at
Secretariat, 2008 Workability International Conference in Sapporo
c/o NPO JAPAN SELP CENTER, Shinjuku 1-31-1-2F, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, JAPAN
TEL +81 3 3355 8877 FAX +81 3 3355 7666

In order to register, please download the registration form

Click here to view the program

Click here to download the call for speakers

  • WORKABILITY INTERNATIONAL 2008 PHOTO COMPETITION

Every year Workability International needs a wide selection of good quality photos for our Workability International Annual Review, which demonstrates the work undertaken by member organisations.

Your organisation is invited to submit photos which “tell a story” for the 2008 Annual Review Photo Competition.  The photos should depict either a person or a group of people engaging in work or activities which is supported by your organisation.

The photos need to be digital, no more than 72 DPI and 1024 pixels and emailed as JPEG files to : Maggie CROSSAN (Maggie@gracelands.org.nz) by July 19th 2008.

The prize winners will be announced at the Workability International Conference in Sapporo in September.

Criteria for judging :
- The photo must “tell a story” without the need for a caption
- The photo demonstrates disabled people in socially valued roles.

For example:

a disabled man enjoys his job at a Tesco supermarket

 

This photo shows us that a disabled man enjoys his job at a Tesco supermarket.  (The photo gives all the information. There is no need for an explanation caption).

 

For results of the 2007 Photo Competition and photos submitted see our website: http://www.workability-international.org/pics.html

 

  • WORKABILITY ASIA challenges Japanese Government to comply with ILO Convention

The ILO Governing Body has set up a committee to examine the Japanese Government’s alleged violations against the ILO Convention and Recommendations concerning the vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities.

As part of the Japan Council on Disabilities, for the last three years our Japanese WI members have been attempting to challenge the Japanese Government for violations against the ILO Convention 159 which they ratified on 12 June 1992.  The ILO (International Labour Organization) is the tripartite UN agency bringing together governments, employers and workers of its member states to promote decent work throughout the world.

Our Japanese members requested support from Workability International to assist in lodging their protest with the ILO and challenge the Japanese Government with their alleged violations, which the WI Board agreed to in early 2006. Their Secretariat Alain Rialland arranged a meeting in conjunction with representatives of our Japanese Members with a Disability Employment Specialist within the ILO, Geneva in July 2006.

It was eventually agreed that the dossier defining the violations should be submitted to the ILO, with the Japanese National Union of Welfare and Childcare Workers willing to make representations with the ILO concerning the Japanese Government’s alleged violations of the Convention 159.

As a result of the great efforts and determination demonstrated by our Japanese members in order to get the ILO to create the tripartite meeting to consider these violation claims, the Japanese National Union of Welfare and Childcare Workers prepared the “Representation” document in accordance with ILO’s regulations and procedures. They were assisted by the Workability International Secretary, with the “Representation” supported by documentary evidence extensively researched by the Japan Council on Disabilities.

On their behalf, the WI’s General Secretary handed over the “Representation” in Geneva on 15th August 2007, where the Officers of the ILO Governing Body then presented it to the Governing Body in Geneva in November 2007.

 

  • ASVL, NORWAY win the first Workability International Photo Competition
    A good response from Members, with 69 photos received and 24 organisations participating with good representation from all regions

The presentation to the winners of the Annual Review 2007 Photo Competition has taken place. Entrants had to submit photographs which demonstrated disabled people in social valued roles and which also 'told a story' without the need for a caption. There had been a good response from Members, with 69 photos received and 24 organisations participating with good representation from all regions.
The Waikato Photographic Society, who was impressed with the quality of the entries, judged the competition, organised and run by Robyn KLOS CEO of Gracelands Group of Services, New Zealand and WI Board Member with her Executive Assistant Natasha Morris. The winner’s prize of a digital camera, generously provided by the Shaw Trust, UK, was awarded to ASVL Norway, with runner ups being chosen as Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana Inc., USA and Southland Enterprises Inc., New Zealand, each of whom would get a certificate.

Congratulations and thanks go to all those who contributed to the competition.

Profiles of the key players:

ARBEIDSSAMVIRKENES LANDSFORENING - ASVL, NORWAY
With more than 230 member companies, ASVL is a nationwide organisation providing permanent employment to occupationally disabled persons.

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL INDIANA – USA
As a provider of employment services and job preparation training to thousands of people, Goodwill fills a vital role in the economies of its communities.

SOUTHLAND ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED – NEW ZEALAND
Formed as an Industrial Work Training Unit to provide a second level of Training for people with Disabilities who are unable to enter directly into the Community Work Force.

Shaw Trust (41 words):

The UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of employment services for disabled people, Shaw Trust is a national charity providing training and work opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability, ill health or other social circumstances.

The Waikato Photographic Society :

The Waikato Photographic Society is a group of keen photographers based in Hamilton, New Zealand, who aims to improve members' technique and compositional skills.

Click here to view the photos...

  • The Rehab Group launches international project which launches  fund to provide seed funding to new and innovative projects that support the initiation of enterprise and/ or staff training and personal development projects, for people with disabilities, within sheltered and supported employment settings.  – The scheme will be closed for applications 31st March 2008.
    For further information

 

  • Stockholm Declaration – Workability International challenges Governments to reduce the gap by 50%,  between employment levels for people with disabilities and those without disabilities, by 2027. At its conference in Stockholm in September 2007, members of Workability International urged early ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights for People with Disabilities.

Workability International’s mission is to champion disabled people’s right to work. It strongly believes that people with disabilities should have the same right to work and equality of opportunity to and in employment as all other citizens and that the levels of employment for people with disabilities should be similar to those without disabilities. 

Whilst Workability International welcomed the adoption of the Convention on the Rights for People with Disabilities by the UN General Assembly on the 13th December 2006; it recognises that the success of the convention depends on major efforts being made by both states and civil society to create the necessary environment and tools for ensuring full inclusion of people with disabilities, in all activities of every day life.

Workability International urges States to:

  • ratify the convention without delay;
  • take necessary measures for national implementation and introduce the national monitoring of employment of people with disabilities, as required by the convention;
  • ensure all forms of employment are available to people with disabilities together with the provision of choice for the individual in choosing their employment;
  • ensure that organisations providing services to people with disabilities are actively involved in the development of policies and legislation relating to services to people with disabilities;
  • develop common methods for presenting,  monitoring and comparing statistics for employment among people with disabilities within and between states; and
  • by 2027, reduce the gap between employment levels for people with disabilities similar to those without disabilities, by 50%.

. Members of Workability International, as part of the civil society, commit themselves to:

  • using their knowledge and experience of finding employment opportunities and solutions; will in their own country, take an active part  in the process of implementing the UN convention;
  • contributing to a broad range of forms of employment and opportunities; working in partnership with employers and the business community;
  • focussing on people with disabilities’ employment support needs; their abilities and aspirations.
  • monitoring the level of employment among people with disabilities in their own country; and
  • offering their knowledge & experience through project participation, to developing countries.

Workability International will present annual statistics reporting employment levels of people with disabilities, for those states in which members are located creating an index for comparison starting from 2007.