The disabled lament limited employment<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Government and society have a long way to go
\ntoward constructively employing the disabled, an association of
\nthe disabled said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Otje Soedioto, secretary-general of Persatuan Penyandang Cacat
\nIndonesia (the Indonesia Disabled Peoples' Association), lamented
\nthat although the government says it wants to empower the
\ndisabled, regulations stand in the way of actually doing so.<\/p>\n
Most employers, for example, require that prospective workers
\nbe able to read and write "normally" -- but this conception of
\n"normal" excludes Braille reading and writing skills. Other
\nstipulations require that job seekers be "physically and mentally
\nhealthy".<\/p>\n
"We (disabled people) have to contend with these unfair
\nregulations," said Otje, who has been blind since infancy.<\/p>\n
Otje is also a manager of the newly opened ProEm-Personnel
\nIndonesia, the local representative of PE Personnel, an
\nAustralian non-governmental organization which trains and
\nsupports the disabled in the workplace.<\/p>\n
"We have a long way to go before disabled people are not
\ndiscriminated against," he said at ProEm's roll-out press
\nconference.<\/p>\n
Otje acknowledged President Soeharto's appeal to the
\ngovernment and community Monday to empower deaf people by
\nassisting them in finding gainful employment and becoming more
\nproductive citizens as a tentative first step.<\/p>\n
"Unfortunately, the appeal is not yet well-understood by
\nofficials at lower levels," he said.<\/p>\n
According to 1995 government statistics, Indonesia has 5.9
\nmillion disabled people, or 3.1 percent of the population.<\/p>\n
Indonesia seeks to provide 60 percent of its disabled citizens
\nwith equal opportunity employment by 2002.<\/p>\n
Otje criticized companies that refuse to employ disabled
\npeople. "How can disabled people work? It's already difficult to
\nenter anyway," Otje said.<\/p>\n
However, he commended companies which employ disabled people,
\nincluding Indosiar television station and McDonald's.<\/p>\n
But it is not only business that needs to work harder to
\nemploy the disabled. Otje said the field of politics needs to
\nfight discrimination and open its doors to the disabled.<\/p>\n
"I'm the victim myself, I failed to become a legislator
\nbecause of my handicap. It's not fair, we vote and we don't have
\nour representatives," Otje said.<\/p>\n
PE Personnel chief executive Greg Lewis said that employing a
\nperson with disability is a good business decision, not an act of
\ncharity.<\/p>\n
Disabled people that have been placed by his organization in
\nvarious industries, Lewis said, take less time off, are more
\nreliable, work longer and are every bit as productive as normal
\npeople.<\/p>\n
"What we're offering to employers makes good business sense.
\nIt just so happens the person has disabilities," said Lewis, who
\nadded that companies can improve their image by employing the
\ndisabled.<\/p>\n
PE Personnel has placed more than 750 people with various
\ndisabilities in jobs. (ste)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-disabled-lament-limited-employment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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