People with disabilities (PwD) face major inequalities in the labour market. They are less likely to be employed than people without disabilities, and this gap is even more pronounced for women with disabilities. Many PwD are misclassified as inactive and are not even registered as job seekers, creating further barriers to employment inclusion. Discrimination and stigma are commonly experienced by PwD. Many are forced to be self-employed, reflecting the lack of opportunities in other sectors, or risk ending up in informal employment. Traditional policies targeted to PwD have mainly focused on income support and sheltered jobs, without putting sufficient emphasis on the importance of PwD career aspirations and the lack of opportunities to transit to open employment.

We investigate the synergy between different policy tools, since the provision of adequate and secure income needs to be balanced by employment opportunities and support and recognise that employment is a key dimension for the personal well-being of people with disabilities. This is a complex challenge due to the heterogeneity of disabilities and the lack of specific information and data on PwD, which make it difficult to study their condition and develop targeted policies that address their specific needs.