Social acceptance and employment policy of people with disabilities in Greece

This article examines the employment of people with disabilities in the light of relevant policies and social acceptance in Greece. The method adopted is that of a literature review. The data examined show that in Greece various policies have been developed concerning people with disabilities with the aim of their equal inclusion in employment. However, the legislation is not reflected in practice. People with disabilities have limited opportunities compared to other people without disabilities to claim jobs. This is largely due to the fact that employers have perceptions that indicate a lack of social acceptance for people with disabilities. However, national policies also show that people with disabilities have not been widely accepted. The policies that exist for employment are inferior to those concerning social welfare. This also results in people with disabilities not seeking to work, not because they do not want to or do not need to, but because it is more economically efficient for them to maintain the benefits they receive. This highlights the need to design and implement policies that truly provide opportunities for people with disabilities to integrate into the labor market.