Government studies required hiring of disabled

Government studies required hiring of disabled

JAKARTA (JP): The government is considering drafting a bill to compel companies to employ disabled people.

Minister for Social Services Yustika Baharsyah said in a seminar on employment here on Thursday that a new law is needed to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities and enable their participation in the work force.

"They can be as productive if not more productive than normal people. They can make significant contributions to the company they work with," she told an audience of 100 people comprising businessmen and government officials.

"In Yogyakarta there is a non-governmental organization that has successfully trained disabled people and even exported the fruit of their labor to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands," she said.

The current laws on the disabled, Law No. 4/1997 and Presidential Decree No. 83/1999, have not worked well, she said, because they were in effect only appeals for companies to recruit disabled people.

Iftikhar Ahmed, the Jakarta branch director of the International Labor Organization (ILO), said some countries took a persuasive approach while others set rules requiring companies to employ disabled people.

Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris said experts have identified 104 jobs suitable for disabled people.

"It is proof that there are wide opportunities for people with disabilities," he said.

Barbara Murray, ILO senior specialist in vocational rehabilitation, said many countries introduced new laws and modified rules on education, training and employment to make workplaces more accessible and supportive for the disabled.

Underlining the importance of appropriate jobs, support and technical aid for them will ensure low accident rates and high productivity, she said.

In promoting job opportunities for the disabled, Robert Heron, an ILO senior specialist, underlined the importance of the recruitment process in channeling them to appropriate positions in the work force.

He said public employment services are needed to act as agents for the disabled, saying the government agencies should develop links with companies as clients and partners. (06)