From March to June 2015 the Latvian Association of the Deaf will implement a project “Active for the Future”. The objective of the project is to promote the development of an inclusive labour market, discussing the experience, the current situation and potential solutions for employment of deaf individuals in the European Union.

The discussion session “Deaf Individual in the EU Labour Market” will focus on the experience in Latvia and other European Union Member States, the current situation and potential solutions in the field of employment of individuals with hearing disability and on developing an inclusive labour market, and it will identify problem areas and develop the proposals, which are essential to individuals with hearing disability and have to be tackled in the nearest future.

The discussion session will consist of several stages:

• a workshop “Employment and the Freedom of Movement” will take place on 14 May 2015
• a seminar and discussion “Inclusive Labour Market” on 15 May 2015
• the final discussion within the competence group “Employment of Deaf Individuals in the Future. Approaches, Actions and Steps” on 16 May 2015

As well as presentations and participant discussions on developed proposals (a resolution) concerning the employment of deaf individuals and the development of an inclusive labour market for deaf individuals. The discussion session will end with passing a resolution in June 2015.

The society “Latvian Association of the Deaf” and 120 employees and members of the EU Member States’ public organisations of the deaf will participate in discussions. The project’s activities will directly increase the target group’s awareness but indirectly their competitiveness in the labour market. Based on the problems discussed and the proposals made, a resolution will be elaborated in the fields of employment of deaf individuals and of development of an inclusive labour market for a segmented group – deaf individuals. The discussion results will make a direct contribution to the Latvian Presidency’s priority area “More Competitive EU as a Basis for Growth, Improvement of Quality of Human Life and Contribution to the Development of the Future” as well as a contribution to equal opportunities for the deaf and will promote the activity and cooperation of the public organisations to achieve common goals with their social partners and state institutions involved in this field.

The project “Active for the Future” of the society Latvian Association of the Deaf, agreement identification No 2014.LV/PR/12/11, is implemented in the framework of Latvian State budget funded programme, “Support for Public Participation in Implementing the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union”.