Accessible Work for All

"People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed (53% to 33%) and more vulnerable to the poverty trap (30% to 22%). People who are deaf are particularly vulnerable. The problem starts at birth - 90 per cent of deaf children are born to hearing parents, which means they lack an adult language model at home. Lack of bilingual instruction in schools means that most deaf children try to learn to write without reference to their first language (sign language). For deaf school leavers, written texts with complex vocabulary constitute a barrier to understanding. Linguistic exclusion leads to actual exclusion. Accessible Work for All aims to promote equality, non-discrimination and diversity through theinnovation of providing information on employment and employment regulations in accessible digital formats. Deaf job seekers looking for online support have access to information in their first language – sign language - on video with plain text subtitles and visual support in the form of drawings and animations to assist understanding. The outputs facilitate self-study, self-determination and empowerment - deaf job seekers can access information unaided and without communication assistance or interpretation. Moreover, the provision of online digital tools contributes towards reducing disparities in access to and engagement with digital technologies in non-formal education for deaf job seekers. (IO1) ""Analysis and Abstract"" comprises a digital survey, analysis and transnational report (orabstract) to ascertain attitudes and knowledge levels regarding employment regulations among deaf job seekers.(IO2) ""Accessible Toolkit"" is a collection of fully accessible information videos on employmentregulations which combine sign language, plain text and visual images.(IO3) ""Information is Empowerment"" is a blended learning training package including digitalhandbook which is piloted by 40 deaf job seekers.The project is innovative for 3 reasons: participation, accessibility and empowerment. The direct target group is deaf job seekers - 120 deaf job seekers actively participate in the project. Associated organisations working with deaf communities and providing support, counselling, career guidance and employment services will also participate.Accessible Work for All is implemented in Austria, Germany, Italy and Poland. Multiplier events take place in all four countries hosted in sign language by deaf job seekers themselves who present the project and the outputs to an invited audience."