Disability is a global public health issue and over 1 billion people which constitutes 15% of world’s population live with some form of disability. Disability is part of being human. Nearly all of us will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in our life. Personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support results in disability in people as it is outcome of the interaction between individuals with a health condition such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome and depression as well as personal and environmental factors including. People with disability experience poorer health outcomes, have less access to education and work opportunities, and are more likely to live in poverty than those without a disability. Disability is also a human rights issue – people with disability are among the world’s most discriminated people, often experiencing violence, prejudice and denial of autonomy as well as facing barriers to care.

Azerbaijan as one of the post-Soviet countries which tries to reform the society to include people with disabilities into the mainstream society. The provision of the labor rights of people with disabilities (PWD) is also important in this direction. Thus, the purpose of this manual is to bring some awareness for employers to increase the employment of the people with disabilities. Although employment of PWDs is progressing, but there are some issues still exist.

This manual tries to help employers by increasing their awareness on disability and PWDs. This manual covers description disability, discuss medical and social approaches of disability and four different categories of disabilities. The manual also includes detail information about each category of disability, and recommendations for employers for hiring and supporting them during their jobs.