Provide equal job opportunities for people with disabilities

As the gap between the participation of people with and without disabilities in the workforce widens, there is an urgent need for the government to provide fair employment opportunities for those with disabilities, as they also have a right to economic security.

What’s more, with the pandemic making the job market more competitive than ever, the vulnerabilities and barriers faced by people with disabilities, in terms of employment prospects, are only worsening.

According to the Social Welfare Department (JKM), there are 488,948 registered Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as of Oct 2018, which translates to 1.53% of Malaysia’s population.

In terms of employment, Mary Chen, president of the Challenges Foundation, told The Star the number of people with disabilities working in 2018 was at an extreme low of 0.003% in the public sector and 0.001% in the private sector.

Although the government has implemented a one per cent policy for hiring PWDs in the public sectors to ensure inclusivity and encourage all government agencies to provide employment opportunities to PWDs, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) however, reported that as of June last year, this policy had yet to gain traction.

According to experts, employers are hesitant to recruit PWDs because they fear higher health care costs, the PWDs are not seen as a talent pool of skilled workers, the need to provide appropriate accommodation can be costly, and the perceived need to deal with adverse reactions from customers, colleagues and subordinates who may feel awkward for not knowing how to communicate with PWDs.

While education does help break down barriers, working graduates with disabilities are mostly underemployed, working part-time or on contract and less likely to hold managerial positions.

And even if they land a permanent job, they receive lower salaries than the non-disabled workers (even when both have the same level of qualifications and job scope).

This should not be the case as workers with disabilities deserve to be paid the same salary for doing the same work, as stated under Section 29 (2) of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.

Evidence has shown that staff with disabilities tend to take fewer days off, less sick leave and stay longer in jobs – and surprisingly, they can build strong relationships with customers, boost workplace morale and enhance teamwork.

Thus, what can be done to ensure this group of people get equal chances as the non-disabled people?

First, as we face economic uncertainties, it is quite unfair to make it mandatory for businesses to hire disabled people, as businesses are also struggling.

Thus, to make it fair for both parties, the government might want to introduce a wage subsidy programme that provides a financial incentive for employers who hire PWDs.

Perhaps this wage subsidy could be paid to the employers for 12 months of the PWD’s employment period, provided that after the subsidy period has expired, the employers provide them with a sustainable and permanent position with a good salary.

For the salary, the government could also form an organisation that provides free productivity assessments for the PWD employees to help employers determine a fair salary for them based on their productivity to prevent discrimination.

Next, as more consumers embrace online shopping, now is the best time to encourage disabled people to venture into online businesses as a means to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

To achieve this, the government needs to provide them with financial aid – be it in grants or loans – to help start their online business.

In addition, online business coaching programmes that could cater to PWDs’ needs – such as online business plan creation and business resources – should also be provided to those who are interested.

Given that the Internet is a perfect marketing platform, the potential for people with disabilities to seek this form of self-employment is highly feasible. However, it is also critical for all agencies related to online businesses like post offices to upgrade and make alterations to their physical features in order to help the disabled do their job, such as posting customers’ parcels.

AFIFAH SUHAIMI

Research Assistant

EMIR Research