The eutopia of labor inclusion: People with disabilities and the barriers to labor inclusion in public sector institutions in the province of Santiago, Chile

Abstract

In the last 20 years, significant progress has been made in the country regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities, from the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the implementation of Law No. 21.015 on Labor Inclusion, among other achievements. Despite the above, there are still barriers that hinder the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market. In this context, the present research is developed, where, through a qualitative approach that included semi-structured interviews and literature review, it is shown that people with disabilities face obstacles when entering and remaining in the public sector, ranging from physical and regulatory barriers to socio-educational barriers. In addition, several relevant findings are identified, such as the absence of a State policy on disability and employment inclusion for the public sector, significant non-compliance with Law No. 21.015 in terms of monitoring and reporting, as well as a gap between the public and private sectors in terms of compliance with this law. In spite of these challenges, labor inclusion is presented as an eutopia, that is, an ideal and achievable scenario, a good place for people with disabilities.