Ten years ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force. Austria, which was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention, is underscoring its determination to do everything possible to ensure that the professional world is an active, driving force for integration. In 2017, integration was one of the priorities of the Austrian government's strategy.

The Federal Civil Service plays a role in this initiative via an initial series of measures that complement the existing legislative framework:

• Semi-annual publication of progress in achieving the quota set by law (4% of the workforce)

• The position held by the staff member is not linked to a budgetary post (which allows for greater mobility)¹

• Two to five additional days of leave per year (depending on the degree of disability).

To provide support for government departments, particularly in terms of recruitment, the Ministry of Social Affairs has set up a dedicated platform, bundessache.at.

It reviews job descriptions, checks conditions of employment and searches for potential candidates in cooperation with the local network in charge of professional assistance.

Even before an employee takes up his or her duties, Bundessache checks with the department to be sure that all the arrangements enabling the agent to work independently and under the best conditions have been made.  The same applies to services (personal assistance, individual coaching, transport).

The Federal Administration Academy, which is responsible for initial and on-going training for staff, has also made disability issues a part of its processes (asking about special needs when registering for sessions, sign language interpretation in collaboration with the Equalizent association, informing managers about accessibility measures).

Workshops are held on a regular basis in federal government departments to reminder participants of the regulations in force and to share best practices.

Any citizen facing a situation of discrimination can call on an independent Disability Ombudsman.


¹ As is the case in Germany