Rede Capital Social presents action plan to strengthen the employability of people with disabilities

Morais Leitão supported the development of the Action Plan for the Promotion of the Employability of People with Disabilities, an initiative by Rede Capital Social aimed at strengthening the professional integration of people with disabilities in Portugal.

Rede Capital Social (RCS) has presented the Action Plan for the Promotion of the Employability of People with Disabilities, an initiative with an estimated budget of between €3.8 million and €4.2 million aimed at supporting the Portuguese Government in addressing one of the country’s most structural social challenges.

Developed with the support of Deloitte, Morais Leitão and the law firms CCA Law Firm and PLMJ, the plan results from an extensive consultation and analysis process involving organisations from the social sector, companies, public policy specialists and representatives of the media. Its objective is to promote systemic change in the professional integration of people with disabilities, strengthening the effectiveness of existing public policies and proposing practical solutions developed collaboratively with the sector.

The development process involved around 120 stakeholders. It included 30 individual interviews, 16 visits to non-governmental organisations and two focus groups, bringing together 70 organisations working in the disability sector in Lisbon and Porto, as well as several public policy co-creation sessions involving people with disabilities, family members, companies and specialists.

This work resulted in 20 strategic initiatives, 11 focused on advocacy and nine on philanthropy. The proposals are structured around three main pillars: legislative review; improved data collection and use, including the simplification and centralisation of information; and strengthened capacity-building and awareness-raising across society. Among the measures proposed is the review of the Quota Law (Law No. 4/2019), which establishes mandatory hiring of people with disabilities by public entities and companies with more than 75 employees.

According to Inês Sequeira, CEO of Rede Capital Social, the plan seeks to create concrete and measurable solutions for the coming years. “Social problems are complex, but our focus is on agreeing on what is most urgent to address and building a joint path centred on practical solutions, so that we can assess the real impact of the work carried out.”

During the public presentation of the initiative, several speakers highlighted the importance of strengthening awareness and knowledge of the rights of people with disabilities in Portugal. Recent data indicate that more than half of the Portuguese population has never heard of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, demonstrating the need for greater information and awareness.

Morais Leitão is a member of Rede Capital Social, a national platform that brings together companies, consultants, universities and civil society organisations with the aim of developing strategic philanthropy initiatives capable of addressing structural social challenges in Portugal. The network promotes sustainable solutions through collaboration between different sectors, maximising collective impact and mobilising specialised knowledge to support the development of public policies and social intervention projects.

The area dedicated to the inclusion and employability of people with disabilities constitutes the first line of action of this platform. Within the framework of this collaboration, Morais Leitão contributes legal expertise, a multidisciplinary perspective and active participation in the working groups of Rede Capital Social, reinforcing its commitment to responsible engagement and to promoting solutions that contribute to a more inclusive society.