Disability in Denmark

Denmark signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol in December 2006 and ratified it in July 2009.{{cite web |title=Disability |url=https://www.humanrights.dk/our-work/our-work-denmark/disability |website=The Danish Institute for Human Rights |accessdate=7 January 2019 |language=en}}

Denmark operates an inclusive labour market through a series of employability programmes aimed at integrating people with disabilities into the workplace. The flex Job scheme was introduced in 1998{{cite journal |last1=Jensen |first1=V |last2=Lundager |first2=B |last3=Christensen |first3=AL |last4=Fonager |first4=K |title=Unemployment under the flex job scheme increases the risk of permanent social security benefits. |journal=Danish Medical Journal |date=April 2014 |volume=61 |issue=4 |pages=A4804 |pmid=24814586}} to bridge the gap in employment of disabled people by allowing employers to hire those with a reduced work ability at a rate which is then subsidised by the government in order to meet the minimum wage.{{citation |last=Greve |first=Bent |date=April 2009 |title=The labour market situation of disabled people in European countries and implementation of employment policies: a summary of evidence from country reports and research studies | work=Academic Network of European Disability experts (ANED) VT/2007/005: 27 | url=https://www.academia.edu/download/27103215/aned_task_6_final_report_-_final_version_17-04-09.pdf }}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The Flex Job scheme along with other programmes such as the 'ice breaker' scheme and the Skaane job scheme have been seen as having a positive impact on the Danish labour market as participation by those with disabilities has increased greatly since 1998.https://pure.sfi.dk/ws/files/292672/wp182002.pdf{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Hogeland & Pederson, 2002 "Active labour market policies for disabled people in Denmark" The open labour market working paper 18/2002.{{rp|12–13}}

Unlike many of its European counterparts, Denmark does not use a quota system for employing disabled people because it is viewed as placing disabled people in a special category,{{rp|14}} and instead favours an inclusive and active labour market approach. Denmark's disability employment rate is higher than the OECD average, with 52% of disabled people in employment.http://www.oecd.org/denmark/46460721.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} However, the number of people in receipt of disability pensions remains high.Kautto & Othman, 2010 "Disability and employment - lessons from reforms" Finnish Centre for Pensions Reports 2010/4:3 The number of disabled people living in poverty in Denmark is also above the OECD average at 24.8%.[http://www.oecd.org/denmark/46460721.pdf, OECD "Sickness, disability and work: Breaking the barriers" www.oecd.org 2010, p1]

Danske Handicaporganisationer [da] advocates for people with disabilities in Denmark.{{cite web |url=https://www.handicap.dk/ |title=Home |website=handicap.dk}}

The Sølund Music Festival [da] is a Danish music festival designed for people with disabilities.{{Cite news|title=Threat to Danish disability festival|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-27873504|access-date=2020-09-22}}

{{See also|Denmark at the Paralympics}}

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{{Disability by country}}

Denmark