MCM – empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities (PwID) to become more involved in shaping their learning, training and labour market integration

What do we want to do? The project ”My Career Matters” (MCM) is implemented, between the 1st of October, 2020 and the 30th of September 30, 2022, by a transnational consortium led by HAO, which includes partners from four other countries: Consultis – Consultoria Empresarial, Unipessoal Lda. (Portugal), Status Employment (United Kingdom), Valakupiai Rehabilitation Center (Lithuania), and M&M Profuture Training SL (Spain).

What is the current situation?

Currently, very few People with Intellectual Disabilities work in Romania, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Spain. PwID remain the most excluded category from the labour market; they are three to four times less likely to be employed than people without disabilities. This social category is highly dependent on others, and in many cases, the decisions about jobs or careers are made for them, not by them. These people face a lack of resources and / or difficulties in using available resources regarding labour market, occupations and learning opportunities. Thus, the lifelong learning programs existing in the mentioned countries are not adapted to the needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities. In addition, there are no useful informative materials presented in easy-to-understand language. Even if the request for accessibility is an underlying premise throughout the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (Art.3 & 4), no progress was registered in providing accessible information for PwID in project partners’ countries.

What have we achieved so far?

The project targets career guidance sector with the purpose to empowering PwID to become more involved in shaping their learning, training and labour market integration pathways and their careers, by developing the following products:

• IO1. Easy to read Guide for People with Intellectual Disability about Labour Market Information
• IO2. Training package – Career information for People with Intellectual Disabilities
• IO3. Xplore LMI – Toolkit for practitioners, career educators and specialists of employment services working with People with Intellectual Disability.

Follow us for knowing more!

Website: https://mcmproject.info/
Toolkit: https://www.xplorelmi.mcmproject.info/