Inclusive workplaces

According to the World Health Organisation, 10% the global population, or 650 million people, are disabled. The greatest concentration of PWDs – 400 million people – is in and around the Asia Pacific region.

Whether the disability is visible or otherwise, an increasing number of organisations are employing PWDs and realising the often signfiicant contribution they are capable of delivering. In addition to private sector recruitment drives and disability programmes, government organisations too are promoting awareness of the employability of PWDs, ranging from special training programmes to funds for organisations.

The case for employing PWDs

There are a number of challenges to recruiting PWDs, but one of the biggest obstacles is the negative mentality towards them, according to experts. These misconceptions can often be put down to several factors, from cultural upbringing to common misconceptions.

“Many employers have a fear of the unknown and usually have a stereotypical mindset when it comes to PWDs, being unsure if these employees are equally competent when compared to able-bodied employees,” says Jagdeep Thakral, Executive Assistant Manager of Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre.

Employers could also be worried about the required time to train PWDs or whether they are able to handle “various operations and situations that might arise in the workplace”, Thakral adds.

Lee Yew Cheong, Manager, Projects for the Singapore National Employers Foundation (SNEF), says that most employers that his organisation has interacted with “are not averse to the idea of hiring PWDs” but they still “carry a certain stereotypical mindset regarding them”.

Lee explains that “there is a cultural aversion to talk openly about someone’s disabilities” in Chinese-dominant societies like Singapore, Hong Kong or China.

However, there have been many case studies expounding the benefits of hiring PWDs and the contribution they can make to an organisation. The guidebook, Towards Disability Con­fidence: A Resource Guide for Employers in Singapore and Hong Kong, provides tips and guidelines for employers and details case studies of organisations in Singapore and Hong Kong that have successfully integrated PWDs into their workplaces.

Another, the Employers Guide: Series on Employment of Persons with Disabilities also provides helpful information for businesses considering hiring PWDs.

These publications explain that employers that hire PWDs will be tapping into a wider talent pool and contribute to creating barrier-free working environments. Also, PWDs can provide alternative perspectives at work since their life experiences, make them more adept at problem-solving. Furthermore, studies show that communities tend to have a better opinion of companies that hire PWDs, as it boosts corporate image and reputation.

“By providing an opportunity for disabled people, you are showing others that you are hiring for the value and talent that one can offer, not the disability that one has,” explains Regana Mydin Manager, Disabled People’s Association, Singapore, in the Towards Disability Con­fidence report. “By doing this, you also get an opportunity to work with good talent.”

Awareness is the way forward

Government bodies and private organisations in Singapore have been taking steps over the past few years to heighten awareness of the employability of PWDs. An ‘Enabling Masterplan Committee’ was set up by the Singapore government, which was led by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) to develop ideas to help integrate PWDs into society.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, various initiatives were adopted by the government in 2007. One of it was the Disability Awareness Public Education (DAPE) Campaign, to educate the public and employers about the issue and acknowledge that employment is the best form of self-reliance for PWDs.

The Open Door Fund (ODF), which is administered by SNEF, is available to employers that would like to employ individuals with disabilities. Lee says that it helps “defray some of the employer costs associated with creating jobs for PWDs”. Employers can get a subsidy of up to S$100,000 to redesign jobs, modify workplaces or fund training and integration programmes for PWDs.

Since 2006, Lee says that more than 120 companies have utilised this fund to “place over 500 jobs for PWDs”.

Another useful programme for employers and PWDs is the online recruitment portal, the ODF Job database, which was developed by SNEF in 2008. The portal helps match PWDs for a suitable position with potential employers.

Employers can also attend diversity management workshops “developed for line managers and supervisors to equip them with skills to manage PWDs at their workplace” by SNEF and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP). Since these workshops started in 2009, more than 60 companies have attended the three-day course.

Centres for Training and Integration (CTI) were set up in July last year “to provide industry-specific skills training in a real work environment for PWDs, thus increasing their employment potential”, says Lee. Two organisations, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre and Eureka Call Centre Systems Singapore, took part in CTI pilot training. Presently, the organisations are aiming to train 150 PWDs over the next four years.

PWDs at work

Employers agree that there is an increased awareness that organisations understand the employability of PWDs as well as the need for a diverse workforce.

“We feel that the supporting, training and employment of PWDs is definitely on the rise, especially with increased global awareness on the need, and call for companies and individuals alike to be socially responsible citizens,” says Holiday Inn’s Thakral.

Holiday Inn has a long history of hiring PWDs – it started by employing Edward Wong, a PWD in 1989, and Thakral proudly notes that Wong is still with the organisation. Currently, 10% of the hotel’s total workforce comprises PWDs and they perform duties such as housekeeping, stewarding as well as kitchen work.

George Kwok, Head of Human Resources for ThaiExpress Concepts, affirms that there is a gradual change in attitudes but also acknowledges that a lack of manpower in certain industries such as food and beverages (F&B) has helped increase the interest in the PWD talent pool. “I personally think the reluctance to employ deaf and mute people is changing, as the F&B industry is suffering from manpower shortage as most Singaporeans do not want to work in that environment since the work is demanding,” he says.

ThaiExpress Concepts is an organisation that has been employing individuals with disabilities since 2009. The company currently has eight PWDs (who are deaf and mute) in its employ – two cooks and six servers.

Though no special changes were made to the physical workplace environment, Kwok says it was challenging for the company as it had to “ensure that they [PWDs] are comfortable with the job functions with proper training and guidance”. In order for them to learn their roles and responsibilities, ThaiExpress implemented a buddy system, in which each PWD has a buddy to “guide and train them at the beginning”.

Training is important to help PWDs in getting up to speed with work, and Thakral says Holiday Inn uses a few types of programmes in this process. The organisation employs mild-intellectually disabled individuals so a buddy system is used, in which a colleague is assigned to a PWD to help with their duties and social skills. Following an assessment from a supervisor, the PWD is able to work on their own. The hotel also houses a CTI, and a six-month on-the-job training is provided to trainees before they commence work.

“Job roles and responsibilities are allocated based on their suitability to the individual, and not all jobs in the hotel are complex so training plans are formulated after assessing the PWD’s suitability,” says Thakral.

Holiday Inn also invests in a talent pipeline of PWDs. The hotel collaborates with Delta Senior School (a school for mild-intellectually disabled individuals) to help train students utilising a special curriculum. Students are trained in a replica of a hotel room to provide them with the skills to apply to real-life work settings.

PWDs “generally require some time to integrate into a new working environment” as well as get used to their roles, Thakral acknowledges, and as such, he says supervisors need patience to work with them. However, once they have adapted to their roles and environment, he says “they are highly dedicated and committed to their work.”