European statistics on the employment of people with disabilities are rare, albeit that some recent ANED country reports, such as the one of Italy, provide some information. The ANED states: “… the percentage of employed people with functional disability is 1.3%, with movement difficulty 2.7%, while for people with visual, hearing and speech impairments it is higher at 6.4%… The age group with the highest percentage of employed disabled people is 15-44 years, at 18.4% (22.3% men, 13.9% women), then from 45-64 at 17.0% (24.6% men, 10.4% women) and finally up of 65 years with 0.5% (0.9% men, 0.3% women).”. The information contained in this summary was compiled by the Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED) in April 2009.
Another source is following table on the employment rates (percentages) for working-age disabled people by impairment type in Great Britain for 2008 that indicates the higher employment rates for people with sensory impairments, as well as wheelchair users, while those for people with learning difficulties and speech impediments are rather low.
| Impairment | 2008 (%) |
|---|---|
| Arms, hands | 46.4 |
| Legs or feet | 42.1 |
| Back or neck | 43.1 |
| Difficulty in seeing | 47.2 |
| Difficulty in hearing | 57.8 |
| Speech impediment | 31.4 |
| Skin conditions, allergies | 69.3 |
| Chest, breathing problems | 62.8 |
| Heart, blood pressure, circulation | 59.4 |
| Stomach, liver, kidney, digestion | 58.1 |
| Diabetes | 71.1 |
| Depression, bad nerves | 26.4 |
| Epilepsy | 40.8 |
| Learning difficulties | 20.0 |
| Mental illness, phobia, panics | 13.0 |
| Progressive illness | 41.6 |
| Other problems, disabilities | 55.0 |
| Non-disabled* | 79.5 |
Source: Office for Disability Issues; based on Labour Force Survey, 2nd quarter.
* Local area labour force survey (2002), Annual Population Survey (2004-2008), accessed through Nomis, 14 May 2010
Above table is an extract from a larger table that was mentioned in Disability, Skills and Employment: A review of recent statistics and literature on policy and initiatives, Sheila Riddell, Sheila Edward, Elisabet Weedon and Linda Ahlgren, Centre for Research in Education, Inclusion and Diversity, University of Edinburgh, Equality and Human Rights Commission 2010.
