Small social enterprises to employ persons with intellectual disabilities outside sheltered workshops

In 2021, Diakonie de La Tour, an NGO in Austria’s southern Carinthia region, started an inclusive small enterprises programme. It provides jobs for people with intellectual or multiple disabilities, integrating them into the social security system with personalized help. By 2024 three businesses in catering and adult education had created 20 jobs. The programme is publicly funded.

Solution: Inklusive Kleinunternehmen (Inclusive Small Enterprises)
Organization: Diakonie de La Tour
Country of Implementation: Austria

Find out more here: Zero Project Database

[Alt text: In a cozy café, two employees stand smiling—one in chef attire, the other wearing a casual shirt and cap. The café’s warm, inviting interior is accented with a red logo in the background. The employees, one of whom has Down syndrome, reflect an inclusive workspace where individuals of different abilities contribute to the hospitality sector. This image speaks to tolerance, equality, and the inclusion of people with disabilities in meaningful employment.]