Region: Europe
Disability Definition
Disability is defined in article 114 of the Disability Law 2005 as “any limitations in participating in society because of a substantial, permanent condition affecting a person’s physical, sensory or mental functioning, which includes cognitive and psychiatric disorders and disabling chronic illnesses.”
Reference: Disability in France – Wikipedia
Legislation
Law No. 2005-102 of February 2005 states that “”Every person with a disability has the right to the solidarity of the entire national community, which guarantees him, by virtue of this obligation, access to the fundamental rights recognized to all citizens and the full exercise of his citizenship.The State is the guarantor of equal treatment of disabled persons throughout the territory and defines multi-year objectives for action.”
France ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010.
Employer Legal Requirements
Since 1987, French law sets an employment obligation quota of 6% of disabled workers for any employer with at least 20 employees.
If the employer does not meet this quota, it has to pay a contribution to the public body called “Agefiph,” which works to find solutions for the underemployment of people with disabilities.
Reference: The French law on disabled persons | Atousante – Health at work in France
Accessibility Requirements
The European Accessibility Act took effect in 2019 and requires that both public and private sector actors guarantee the accessibility of certain products and services. The Act was to be transposed into national law by each EU Member State by 28 June 2022.
The certification standard for public web sites in France is the Référentiel Général d’Accessibilité pour les Administrations (RGAA), which defines the set of requirements and evaluation process for determining if a web site is accessible.
Accessibility to the physical environment, including buildings, is required by Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Cultural Norms
There are a few regular disability arts events in France. France participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, and has taken part in every edition of the Summer and Winter Paralympics since then. France was the host country of the 1992 Winter Paralympics.
Reference: Disability in France – Wikipedia
Business Practices/Examples
Additional content coming soon.
Insights
“According to the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), in 2007 there were 9.6 million disabled people living in France. In 2023, 140,000 people with disabilities aged 16 and older are living in specialized institutions.”
Reference: Disability in France – Wikipedia
Supplier Diversity
Certification is in place for women-owned business enterprises through an affiliation with WeConnect.
Talent Sourcing Resources
Le Groupement Interprofessionnel Régional de Promotion de l’Emploi et du Handicap (GIRPH) (Regional Interprofessional Group for the Promotion of Employment and Disability) specializes in support and job placement for people with disabilities.
Association pour l’Insertion et la Réinsertion Professionnelle et Humaine des Handicapés (ANRH) (Association for the Integration and the Professional and Human Reintegration of the Disabled) focuses on sheltered workshops, supported employment, and transitional or vocational rehabilitation employment.
Additional Resources
Handicap International in France is an independent international non-governmental organization, working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict, and disasters. Working alongside disabled and vulnerable people it serves and reflects, in response to their basic needs, improve their living conditions. Available in English and French.
Foundation de France has been working alongside nonprofits and people with a disability since the 1970s. The organization aims to increase inclusion for people with disabilities by addressing all fields and public services, including housing, education, employment, leisure, sports, citizenship, and also access to healthcare and parenting, safety and justice, shops, transport and so on.
References
Report of France to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2021: CRPD_C_FRA_CO_1_46664_E (banquedesterritoires.fr)
NGOs
Handicap.fr – Publishes job posts for disabled jobseekers.
Hanploi.com – Provides candidates with disabilities job offers from their Partners. Candidates can search for various types of employment opportunities everywhere in France.
Talents Handicap Forum – Provides virtual online fairs for candidates with disabilities and facilitate a first contact with employers. Candidates, with our without diplomas, can find offers from accessible partner employers, throughout France.