Romain Rouillard 22:00 p.m., November 22, 2023

Guest of "La France bouge" this Wednesday, Fadila Khattabi, Minister Delegate, in charge of People with Disabilities, spoke about Esat, these structures allowing people with disabilities to work in a protected environment. Without denying the usefulness of the system, it emphasizes the importance of respecting the choice of the parties concerned.

In the heart of the European week dedicated to the employment of people with disabilities, the program La France bouge received this Wednesday evening Fadila Khattabi, Minister Delegate, in charge of People with Disabilities. At the microphone of Élisabeth Assayag, she was invited to speak about establishments and services for assistance through work (Esat). These are structures offering the possibility to people with disabilities to carry out a professional activity, while benefiting from medico-social and educational support, but whose capacities do not allow, "temporarily or permanently" to "work in a company in the ordinary environment or an adapted company", we can read on the website service-public.fr

On Europe 1, Fadila Khattabi praised the "support work" carried out by the actors involved in these Esats. But the Minister Delegate also stressed the importance of respecting the personal choices of people with disabilities. "You have to respect them. They also want to be able to work in an ordinary environment, choose their training and choose the place in which they will work. They should not be placed under house arrest in an Esat for 12 years," she said.

"A plan for the transformation of these Esats"

While assuring that these Esats were "still as important as ever", she also emphasises the need to develop the system. "There is a plan for the transformation of these ESATs, which must also be able to support people with disabilities in the development of their project and meet their expectations so that these people can go to an adapted company or an ordinary company."

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To support her point, Fadila Khattabi uses a concrete example. "These people say to me, 'Madam, make sure that our rights are respected'. For example, one of them said to me: 'They wanted me to work in a restaurant as a waiter, but I'm not interested' even though he had been directed towards that very path. He said, 'I want to take care of the horses.' So he did a CAP and today, he is self-employed," she concludes.