Increased services for disabled people

The City of Hafnarfjörður and the non-profit organisation Specialisterne (Specialisterne in Iceland) recently entered into a six-month partnership agreement, effective from the next month. During this period, Specialisterne will provide suitable job training and job assessments for disabled jobseekers within the City of Hafnarfjörður, specifically to increase their chances of success in the general labour market. This is a pure addition to the other resources available within the municipality.

The organisation Specialisterne in Iceland has taken on the provision of professional services for disabled jobseekers within the municipality of Hafnarfjörður. The number of direct jobseekers over the year depends on progress assessments, but it is estimated that four work placement spaces will be fully utilised by Specialisterne at any one time. The presence of each service user is four hours per day. The organisation provides premises and specialist expertise, ensuring that the quality of the work is satisfactory and that the work is effective for the jobseekers.

About Specialisterne

Sérfræðingarnir is a non-profit organisation that was founded in early 2010 by the Association for the Care of Autistic People and seven other individuals. The aim and purpose of the association's establishment was to specialise in services concerning employment support for individuals on the autism spectrum. This was a new and necessary resource in Iceland, and too many individuals on the autism spectrum had, until then, been unemployed or in jobs where their abilities were not being well utilised.

Hafnarfjörður has high hopes for this agreement, which is likely to bring even more people into the labour market. Another example of a successful project for disabled people seeking employment is The Wasps – a project in which 6 individuals have taken an active part since the autumn of 2015. There will also be an increase in the ranks of The Wasps in the new year.