Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983 (No. 159) - Iceland (Ratification: 1990)

Promotion of employment for persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the Government’s report received in November 2010. In reply to previous comments, the Government indicates that collective agreements were concluded in 2008 to set up a vocational rehabilitation fund (VIRK) following a tripartite agreement between employers’ and workers’ organizations and the state. According to its charter, the role of the VIRK is to systematically reduce the likelihood that workers will be forced to withdraw from the labour market due to permanent disability by enabling workers with disabilities to be more active, upgrading rehabilitation and offering other services. The Committee notes with interest that the VIRK began its operations in August 2008 and, when the report was prepared, 22 counsellors were providing vocational rehabilitation services with the aim to assist the individual to continue in employment or return to employment. Close to 1,400 persons received assistance from the counsellors and the demand for their services is continuously rising. The Committee also notes the variety of employment and training measures to assist persons with disabilities which are offered by the municipalities. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the measures adopted to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Please also include practical information, including statistics (disaggregated as much as possible by age, gender and the nature of the disability), extracts from reports, studies or inquiries on the matters covered by the Convention (Part V of the report form).