Starting from the premise that in Europe, only half the people with disabilities (PWD) who are capable of work have jobs, it is crucial to focus on their professional integration and the securing of their professional career paths. Disabled people are far too often guided by default, and lack support in the construction of their professional projects. In addition, the practices developed by professionals in the teaching and/or professional contexts for those who are disabled would benefit from being valued and better recognised.  Situations evolve, in particular in the French higher education system, to accommodate all the different publics, considering the individualisation of course and support.  

However, there are several European requirements (with greater or lower action levels, depending on the situation and country):

• the development of a procedure for active guidance used for the inclusion of people with disabilities, through a process of placing these disabled people at the centre of this structure for lifelong guidance, and in a position where they can make choices;
• the better visibility and complementarity of stakeholders in the network which works for the inclusion of people with disabilities;
• the continued professionalisation of educational / professional supervisors, through a reflexive approach and discussions on their practices for the orientation and training of disabled people;
• the securing of professional pathways;
• the creation of a European Charter for the active guidance of those with disabilities.

To meet these requirements, supported by the European think tank Pour la Solidarité (Belgium), the ORA project (Orienter Autrement / Advising Differently) has brought together seven partners from Belgium, Bulgaria, France and Romania over a two-year period (2011-2013).  It is registered in the context of the European Leonardo da Vinci - Transfer of Innovation programme.

The consortium included organisations specialising in lifelong guidance, appropriate work structures, federations representing companies in the appropriate work sector, as well as a structure specialising in the management of European projects:

• Pour la Solidarité – Belgium
• University of South Brittany – France
• Walloon Group of Sheltered Workshops – Belgium
• Valenciennes APEI (Help for the Mentally & Physically Handicapped) – France
• Nord-Pas-de-Calais ESAT APF (Establishment and Help in Work; Association For the Paralysed) – France
• Ploiesti Petrol-Gaz University – Rumania
• PODKREPA Work Confederation – Bulgaria

The project has been divided into three main phases:

• taking an inventory of careers guidance systems in the different partner countries;
• developing a procedure for active guidance, taken from exchanges of practice;
• experimenting with this new guidance procedure, tested in each country by five disabled people and five professional supporters.

Four years after the end of the project, the benefits are noticeable in the areas concerned, especially through the shared experiences of the common culture. Learning about the structures in the different areas, jointly identifying the priority issues for disabled people, engaging in key actions the better to support PWDs and contributing to the ongoing training of supervisors are all part of the actions initiated by the project and continued over these areas. Making the reception and support of the disabled person, throughout his personal, professional and training career path, is the purpose of the actions undertaken.

In addition, the ORA project has allowed:

• the development of an active guidance procedure to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities, through a process of placing PWDs at the centre of this lifelong guidance plan and enabling them to make choices; a formalised process, equipped especially by the establishment of a quality approach dedicated to the practice of guidance and support, by professionals (today allowing them to continue to develop their professional practices);
• a better visibility and complementarity of the network stakeholders working towards the inclusion of people with disabilities. Cartography was executed at the start of the project and a work of European analysis and summary was carried out during the project (allowing the developments of the situation to be seen today);
• the professionalisation of educational / professional supervisors, through a reflexive approach and discussions on their practices for the orientation and training of disabled people;
• the creation of a European Charter for the active guidance of those with disabilities.

The ORA project adopted a transfer of the methodology developed by the University of South Brittany during the European AQOR project (Amélioration de la Qualité de l’Orientation / Improvement of the Quality of Careers Advice) - Leonardo da Vinci project - Transfer of Innovation controlled from 2007 to 2009 by PRAO - (Pôle Rhône-Alpes de l'Orientation / Rhône-Alpes Careers Advice Centre), and of the tool produced, The Guide to Indicators of Improvement in the Quality of Careers Advice in the Lorient.

The methodology of the ORA project builds on a transfer of careers advice in general towards the lifelong careers advice, employment and training of people with disabilities.

We relied on three key points:

• discussions and the confrontation of the networks' practices and experiences in working towards the inclusion of people with disabilities;
• the development of a common culture of the concept of active guidance and a quality approach to careers advice;
• the recognition of the professions of mentoring and skills in the sector.

The consortium united over two fundamental definitions, which helped to structure its actions. Those were:

1. The definition of the common advice to ORA partners, which reproduces the text of the EU Council's Resolution of 21 November 2008 (2008/319/02)

“A continuous process which allows citizens, at any age and throughout their lives, to determine their capacity, their skills and their interests, to take decisions in the field of education, training and employment, and to manage their personal life journey in education and training, at work and in other contexts where it is possible to acquire and use these abilities and skills.

“Careers advice includes individual and group activities of information, advice, assessment of skills and support as well as for the teaching of the skills required for decision-making and career management.”

2. The definition of disability proposed by the members of the partnership, which was inspired by the definition of disability according to the French law 2005-102 of 11 February 2005, and the Quebec model The Process of Production of Handicap (PPH):

“A disability constitutes any limitation of an activity, or restriction from participating in the life of society, created by an environment not suitable for a person with a substantial, lasting or definitive alteration in one or several physical, sensory, mental, cognitive or psychic functions, a polyhandicap or a disabling health disorder.”

This definition of disability brings out several aspects that the consortium wished to emphasise: disability is an issue directly linked to the environment, may occur at any time of life, can develop, may or may not be limited in time, and finally may involve different types of limitations and alterations. 

In addition, just as for any other citizen, it is necessary to think about and act upon practices for careers advice support and lifelong learning.

For more information:  www.projetora.eu

Roseline Le Squère, EPALE thematic expert and researcher at the Université Bretagne Sud, specialist in adult training and the relationships between education, training, employment and the economy.