Employment of People with Disabilities: The Impact of Legislation (East Africa): Seychelles Country Profile
Prepared by the ILO InFocus Programme on Skills, Knowledge and Employability in the framework of a project funded by Development Cooperation Ireland - DCI
Many countries throughout the world have, in recent years, adopted policies aiming to promote the rights of people with disabilities to full and equal participation in society. This has often been in response to the
ILO Convention No. 159 concerning Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons (1983). Policy on employment opportunities for people with disabilities is frequently supported by legislation and implementation strategies as essential tools to promote integration and social inclusion.
Some countries in Africa have made progress in introducing disability-related legislation, but many of these laws have not yet been implemented. In other African countries, existing national laws need to be reviewed in order to achieve equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities. Improving legislation and implementation strategies has been identified as one of the main issues to be tackled in the African Decade of Disabled Persons 1999-2009.
The effectiveness of laws in improving employment opportunities for disabled persons - whether they are vocational rehabilitation laws, quota legislation or anti-discrimination legislation - is central, not only in terms of the economic rights of disabled people, but also their broader social and political rights, which are closely linked to economic empowerment.
The country study for Seychelles is part of the
ILO project 'Employment of People with Disabilities - the Impact of Legislation', funded by the Government of Ireland, which aims to enhance the capacity of national governments in selected countries of East Africa and Asia to implement effective legislation concerning the employment of people with disabilities. Starting with a systematic examination of laws in place to promote employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities in the selected countries of each region,1 the project sets out to examine the operation of such legislation, identify the implementation mechanisms in place and suggest improvements. Technical assistance is provided to selected national governments in implementing necessary improvements.
This country study outlines the main provisions of the laws in place in Seychelles concerning the employment of people with disabilities. An initial review of the implementation of the legislation is also provided, based on a survey of documentary sources and feedback from delegates from the Seychelles to a Technical Consultation held in Addis Ababa, 20-22 May 2002. It may be read in conjunction with the regional overview for this Consultation Employment of People with Disabilities - The Impact of Legislation (East Africa), Technical Consultation Report, Addis Ababa, 20-22 May 2002,
ILO 2002.
(Introduction)
