Disabled Moroccans are facing severe hardships in employment market, finds study

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) published a report on unemployment among people with disabilities in Morocco.

The report, titled “Persons with Disabilities, Examination of the Moroccan Stereotypes in the Labor Market,” states that people with disabilities are less likely to find employment in Arab countries, suggesting that the employment gap for this group is widening as a result of inaccurate perceptions about people with disabilities adopted by recruiters and businesses.

The survey is based on an analysis carried out by ESCWA in 2021 on 82 businesses, with 85% coming from the private sector and 15% from the public sector, and representing various sizes and industry sectors.

The report demonstrates how companies see the employment of people with disabilities in Morocco as well as their attitudes on their participation in the labor market.

42 of the companies that were observed did not have anyone with a disability working for them, in contrast to the other 40 companies.

62% of the participating companies believe that people with disabilities are more likely to have workplace accidents, and 76% of the companies under examination believe that hiring people with disabilities costs institutions more money.

77.5% of the organizations surveyed believe that employers must make additional accommodations for workers with impairments.

82.5% of the businesses think that there are jobs reserved for people with disabilities. Additionally, the companies believe that people with disabilities are not creative or innovative enough for technical professions.

Both private and public businesses employ 1 out of every 26 people who have lost their sight. The rate is 1 to 19 persons for those who have a physical impairment, according to the report’s findings.

Deaf people rank third, with a ratio of 1 to 16 people employed by enterprises. Finally, those who have mental disorders are less likely to work for institutions.

80% of the institutions that were referred to said they did not have monitoring procedures for workplace accommodations for those with disabilities.

82.5% of the businesses said that they do not have a plan in place to address the requirements of people with disabilities in the workplace.