This document summarizes a presentation on international crisis and opportunities in European rehabilitation. It discusses the impact of globalization on work, culture, and society. It outlines trends in Europe, Ireland, and barriers to employment for people with disabilities. It proposes opportunities for international partnership through best practices, student exchanges, collaborative research, and developing common standards to promote inclusion of people with disabilities. The presentation argues that addressing global challenges requires international cooperation and learning from diverse perspectives.

1. International Crisis - Global Opportunity:
diversity, inclusion and best practice in European
rehabilitation
Dr. Alan Bruce
Universal Learning Systems, Dublin, Ireland
IARP: DM/CM Conference
Scottsdale, Arizona
12 February 2011

2. Objectives
 To explore the labor market situation and
experience of people with disabilities in Europe
 Identify core issues in European labor market
participation for people with disabilities
 Outline barriers to accessing employment from EU
and Irish perspectives
 Outline best practice and opportunities for
international partnership

3. Themes
 Globalization
 Europe
 Ireland
 Employment and disability in a time of crisis
 International best practice

4. Antonio Gramsci
The old world is dying.
The new world struggles to be born.
Now is the time of monsters.

5. Dynamics of globalization
 Seismic shift in human relationships
 Impact of ICT
 Competitive pressures
 New forms of work organization
 Instant, multidimensional communications
 Quality standards

6. Impact on Work
 Patterns of constant change
 Permanent migration mobility
 Outsourcing
 Flexible structures and modalities
 End of job norms
 Knowledge economy
 Structural inequalities

7. Impact on Culture
 End of old certainties
 No return to ‘normal’
 Multilingualism as standard
 Polymorphic media
 Uncertainty
 Lifelong learning
 Diversity

8. Global trends
 Demographic changes: ageing and life expectancy
 Women and labor market participation
 Immigration
 Cultural and religious difference
 Conflict and stress
 Urbanization

9. Global imperatives
 Radical re-structuring of global economy
 Interconnected information and communication
 Differential access to resources
 Ecological degradation
 Decline of rural life

10. Conclusion….
An assumption of stable work
patterns and linear economic
development is no longer possible

11. Globalization: the threats
 Persistence and increase in inequality
 Permanent hopelessness of excluded
 Embedded violence
 Internal underclass
 External invisibility

12. Globalization: opportunities
 Time warp of nation state
 Integration and participation
 Learning without borders
 Global commodification and dissemination of
knowledge
 ‘Collective effort not collective answers’ (Therborn)

13. Slavoj Zizek
Both private and public are being redefined by
systemic crisis. We we live in a permanent
economic state of emergency.

14. Implications
The emergence of a true global economy
dictates a new role in international activities
to promote the well being of persons with
disabilities through access to jobs, better
technology and social supports...
Source: NIDRR Long Range Plan 1999-2004

15. Europe

16. European vistas
 Historical legacies
 Colonial ghosts (Fanon and French psychiatry)
 Scandinavian social democracy
 Catholic social teaching
 Conditional rights
 Backdrops of exterminism
 Identities in transition

17. European Union: rationale
 Prevent return to war post 1945
 Greater integration
 New and innovative space
 Role of labor market
 Social Europe
 Creative Europe
 Directions: federation – free trade area – what?

18. European Union: structures
 Member States: 27
 Population: 450 m.
 European Parliament
 European Commission
 Council of Ministers
 Directorates General and spheres of competence
 Innovative learning initiatives
 Best practice

19. EU Disability frameworks
 Government - Citizen
rights, entitlements, services, standards
 Disability Rights
medicalization, independent living
 Equality - Diversity
empowerment, quality, linkage

20. EU strategy against social
exclusion (Treaty of Nice 1998)
 Innovation
 Coordination and integration
 Partnership
 End user participation
 Service quality initiatives

21. Why ‘exclusion’?
 Combating active and passive discrimination
 Moral inequity
 Preventing longer term instability
 Social solidarity - fraternité
 All have the right to participate

22. EU Strategy: Lisbon Declaration
 Leading innovative and dynamic global economy
by 2010
 Thematic pillars:
Innovation
Adaptability
Lifelong learning
Equal Opportunities

23. EU Challenges
 Racism
 Immigration
 Inequality
 Unbalanced access
 Expansion
 Demographic changes - ageing
 Rehabilitation and disability
 Economic and financial crisis post 2008

24. Ireland
 Legacies of history
 Colonialism
 Emigration
 Socio-economic underdevelopment
 Political turmoil
 Impact of the Churches
 Charity and voluntarism
 Bust to boom – and back again….

25. Ireland: structures
 The divided island
 Northern Ireland
 Republic of Ireland
 Democracy and governance
 Social welfare systems
 Economic strategies
 Education and learning
 Intercultural identities – the impact of immigration

26. Disability in Ireland
 Structural Change
 Independent Living
 Legislation: Disability Act 2005
 Equality Act 2002 and the Nine Grounds
 Professional Competence
 Mainstreaming
 Standards
 Employment Outcomes

27. Rehabilitation education in Ireland
 Fragmented European stance
 Lack of common conceptual frame or terminology
 Diverse educational structures
 Traditions of charity and dependence
 Lack of systematic research
 Weak policy
 Persistent stigma

28. Irish responses
 NUI Maynooth - training of trainers
 UCD - intellectual disabilities and Disability Studies
 NUI Cork - Disability Support Service and Allied Health
Studies
 Tipperary Institute - disability/community development
 Queen’s University Belfast - Occupational Psychology
 NUI Galway - Human Rights Center and Equality and
Diversity programs
 NDA

29. Irish US linkage
 University of Illinois (Urbana) - MS (1997-2000)
 University of Illinois (Chicago) - Intellectual Disabilities
 Johns Hopkins - NCI Dublin
 University of Wisconsin Stout - professional development
 University of Memphis - Tipperary Institute (2007)
 Virginia Commonwealth - supported employment
 Cornell - post conflict

30. Employment and barriers – shared
perspectives
 Both U.S. and Ireland have had successful models
of rehabilitation
 Common language
 Historical connections
 Interlinked cultures

31. Common needs
 Consumer-Driven Change
 Assessment-Based Decision Making
 Disability Management
 Social and Cultural Awareness
 Research Orientation
 Program Evaluation

32. Labor market barriers
 Literacy
 Numeracy
 Health problems
 Family issues
 Housing
 Transport
 Low staff qualifications

33. Failure to work
The OECD study shows that different policy
approaches in different countries had little
or no effect on outcomes. The most striking
commonality was that there was no outflow
from disability programs to jobs.
OECD 2003

34. Diversity and employment
 Permanent labor market feature
 Impact of legislation
 HRM best practice
 Cascades learning organizationally
 Adaptable creativity

35. Towards best practice
 Professional identity
 Social inclusion
 Rights
 Mutual benefit
 Not optional in a globalized world

36. Shaping standards
 Creanova Project (2008 - 2011)
 Innovation and creativity in learning
 Partners: ES, FI, IE, IT, FR, UK, DE, EE
 Discovering Vision

37. Mikkeli project
Finland in context
Immigration and change
Ageing and care

38. EDEN European Distance and E-
learning network
 Focus on new learning
 Annual conference: Dublin June 2011 Learning and
Sustainability
 Classroom of the Future Conference: Athens October 2011
 Linkage to USDLA and Sloan

39. U-Employ
Partners: RO; IE; BG; HU; FI
Placement training
IARP linkage

40. Future directions
 Consumer advocacy
 Student and peer exchanges
 Collaborative research
 Knowledge dissemination
 Systems change

41. Agenda for engagement
 Student and staff exchanges
 Shared policy development
 Best practice
 Common standards development
 Linkage to emancipatory research models
 Universal design models

42. What’s in it for me?
 Professional identity
 Social inclusion focus and linkage
 Increased international business opportunities
 Mutual benefit
 Not optional in a globalized world

43. What’s in it for IARP?
 Real international focus
 Shared expertise
 Increased member benefit
 Strategic inputs on policy

44. Professional competence – global
resources
 ILO
 Gladnet
 UN
 OECD
 European Foundation
 Rehabilitation International
 Developing countries’ networks - CBR, China

45. Transforming futures - together
 Learning from difference
 Creative dynamism
 Accepting global responsibility
 Asserting vision

46. Thank you
Dr. Alan Bruce
Universal Learning Systems
34 Charleville Road
DUBLIN 7
Ireland
abruce@ulsystems.com