LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK OF EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN LATVIA

The European Union promotes the active inclusion and full participation of disabled people in society, defining raising the share of persons with disabilities in the open labour market as one of the priority action area. Employment of people with disabilities continues to be a topical subject with regard to the Latvian labour market. The paper deals with legal and policy frameworks of employment people with disability, social inclusion and non- discrimination as well as makes discussion on the study results regarding people with disability integration into the labour market. The state provides its support for the employment of disabled people and inclusion in the workplace through various initiatives and regulatory frameworks that are being explored in this publication. Although there are international, European Union and Latvian legal and regulatory frameworks and various policy planning initiatives, the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labour market still remains an open topic. As a result of the research, key areas of regulatory framework to improve employment and inclusion of disabled people in the labour market have been identified: the need to develop a motivating regulation for employers, to establish an effective mechanism for co-operation of different state institutions involved, to increase the responsibility of local municipalities and to develop a supportive intersectional cooperation mechanism to promote employment of people with disabilities.