Employment Support Centre for Persons with Disabilities

Published: 29.05.2023.

The Employment Support Centre for Persons with Disabilities is established and operates within the State Employment Agency (SEA) on the ground floor of the Riga Regional Branch (11 Jesusbaznīcas Street, Riga). The Centre's premises are adapted to cater for people with disabilities to make it easier for clients to access counselling.

The Employment Support Centre for Persons with Disabilities is staffed daily by specialised employment organisers who provide employment support, find suitable vacancies, and inform about training, employment and support measures of the SEA.

To promote the employment of persons with disabilities, the SEA, in cooperation with the State Agency for Social Integration (SASI), implements activity "Determination of Professional Suitability". The aim of the measure is to provide vocational suitability assessment by recommending suitable work and active employment measures for a jobseeker with a disability according to his/her health condition.

Support measures such as "Adaptation of the workplace for employed persons with disabilities", "Mobility support for the start of employment" and other support measures are available to disabled clients at the start of the employment relationship.

The National Employment Agency provides:

Occupational therapist service:

The service is available to unemployed people with disabilities before starting employment or training, to assess the suitability of a job or training placement. After assessing the workplace or training place, the occupational therapist will submit a written opinion to the SEA on the suitability of the workplace or training place for the employment or training of the disabled client and the technical aids needed to adapt the workplace or training place according to the type and degree of the functional impairment of the said client.

Sign language interpreter service:

The service is available to clients with hearing impairments for the purpose of studying educational programmes and for communication with other individuals and legal entities within the framework of all active employment measures and preventive unemployment reduction measures implemented by the SEA.

Support person service:

The service is available to clients with mental disabilities. A support person helps you integrate into the workplace by taking part in discussions with your employer, supporting you in learning and performing the tasks set by your supervisor, helping you communicate with your employer, supervisor and colleagues, explaining work rules and responsibilities, and providing psychological and motivational support.