Your unemployment insurance fund
In Denmark, many people pay into an unemployment insurance fund, which is known as an a-kasse (short for arbejdsløshedskasse). Your a-kasse can advise you on unemployment benefits, entering the labour market, and writing a cover letter and CV. It also offers courses and workshops that you can take while you’re looking for a job.
Remember to join an a-kasse no later than two weeks before your final exam so that you can get unemployment benefits while you’re job hunting. If you’ve been a member of an a-kasse for at least a year when you graduate, you can avoid a waiting period and receive unemployment benefits the day after you finish your studies.
There are many a-kasser to choose from! So it’s a good idea to find out which a-kasse best suits your needs and your field of study.
Your trade union
Your trade union (fagforening) works to get you the best possible pay and working conditions. It can help you uphold your rights and offer advice if you experience challenges or conflicts in the workplace.
As a member of a trade union, you also get access to network and career workshops that can help develop your skill set. You can take part in these events regardless of whether you’ve graduated or you’re still a student – and you’ll receive good advice to prepare you for your job hunt.
It’s important that you’re aware of the Danish Act that prevents discrimination in the workplace (Forskelsbehandlingsloven). Put simply, this act stipulates that it’s your qualifications – and only your qualifications – that count when it comes to employment, promotion and other professional matters. It also states that employers have a responsibility to create a work environment in which members of staff with disabilities are able to thrive and enjoy good working conditions.
The Act also applies to companies that offer training and courses as well as recruitment agencies and job centres. This means that you have the right to fair treatment regardless of where you choose to educate yourself or find a job.
On the labour market, there are disability compensation schemes that help ensure that people with physical or psychological disabilities can get and keep a job. Think of this in the same way as the special educational support that helps students succeed in their university lives.
Disability compensation schemes are funded by the job centre, and it can be a good idea to research these schemes if you think you could benefit from support in the workplace. Perhaps the solutions they offer resemble those that have worked well during your studies?
In any case, you can always talk to an adviser about which type of support has worked well for you at university and whether/how you can take this support forward into your working life – this could be a special IT package, a ramp, or a specific structure in your working day.
And if you’re unsure about the support you actually need, you can of course also talk to an adviser from the special educational support or career guidance team. By knowing your own support needs, you make it easier for both yourself and your employer to ensure that you flourish in your working life.
It’s all about ensuring you get the support and the framework you need so that you can focus on your professional tasks and feel happy at work.
If you want to buy a text-to-speech programme or a writing support package, you can purchase a private license for AppWriter Windows or AppWriter Cloud: http://www.appwriter.dk/da/
There are also free text-to-speech features in many Apple products (Mac, iPad, iPhone) and in the Office 365 package.
There are other free programmes. Here you can take a look at the Access for All (Angangforalle) programme. You can also check out the RoboBraille website to have short texts converted into alternative accessible formats, including audio files.
As a member of Nota, you can download material from the Nota library. If you are actively looking for a job or are currently employed, you can order material through Nota’s business service.
It may also be possible to receive digital aids or other forms of support. As an unemployed person, for example, you can receive digital aids through the Danish Act on Social Services (Serviceloven), and as an employee you can receive digital aids through the Danish Act on Active Employment Measures (Lov om aktiv beskæftigelsesindsats) – by agreement with your employer.
You can find out more about this by contacting the job centre or your case officer at the municipality – or by talking to your employer.
You can find general information (in Danish) about support options for adults with dyslexia here:
