Building an Inclusive Business Community in Albania
Grantee: Albanian Labor Disabled Association (ALIA)
Location: Albania
Grant Amount: $3,860
Project Dates: November 2007 - April 2008
Project Title: Economic growth, Employment and Disability: Creating an Inclusive Business Community
Project Details: ALIA’s mission is to protect the rights of people with disabilities in economic, social, employment, education, and rehabilitation areas. Their project aimed to build a more inclusive business community that will contribute to the economic development and employment of people with disabilities. ALIA partnered with the Albanian Disability Rights Fund (ADRF) and the USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Export Market Services Project (EDEM) to offer workshops to educate the business community on inclusive hiring procedures, the Albanian disability rights laws, and the social model of disability. EDEM is a development project which promotes and assists with business development in the Tourism and Agriculture/Agribusiness industries. ALIA, ADRF, EDEM staff and members of the business community collaborated in seminars and meetings to discuss and implement strategies that promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Results:
- Approximately 60 people, including members of the business community, ALIA staff, ADRF staff, and EDEM staff, participated in 4 seminars/meetings to exchange strategies for employment of people with disabilities,
- The meetings successfully raised awareness and understanding on disability issues among EDEM staff and defined where disability could be included in their current and future programs.
- EDEM agreed to publish the information regarding employment of people with disabilities in their periodical.
- With support from EDEM, ALIA established a collaborative relationship with the American and Albanian Chambers of Commerce, in which they offered the use of their members' network to distribute information.
- The project generated an increased understanding among the business community regarding disability issues, including employment legislation and disability rights.
- The project established relationships between local businesses and ALIA in the cities where the seminars were organized.
