It makes very, very good sense to employ people with
disabilities. I’m guessing that this is news to many people.
Oh, he/she is disabled – this dismissive attitude and
perception that a person with disability is incapable of any productive work rule
in our society. And this is exactly why there is practically zero employment
opportunity for the disabled community in our State.
After my car accident which left me with a spinal cord
injury and limited motor functions, I have been fortunate to have had
supportive employers and people to work with. But even then, I have faced many
situations which clearly demonstrated people’s inability to see beyond my
disability.
Negative attitudes on disability abound and there is still such poor understanding that we haven’t even begun to take baby steps towards an inclusive society. Thus disabled people remain completely excluded from almost all social and work life. They exist on the fringes of society, quite invisible in day-to-day life.
It is this negative mindset that sees disabled people as
‘unable’ that denies a huge chunk of our society the opportunity to be
gainfully employed, thereby denying them the opportunity to live an independent
life with dignity.
WHY EMPLOY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
There is of course the human rights case – it is the right
of people with disabilities as much as any other citizen to receive equal
treatment and equal opportunity in the workplace and throughout society. These
equality principles are enshrined in many international conventions and
standards. The most recent international standard having a direct impact on the
human rights of persons with disabilities is the UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It requires that States Parties
(governments) recognise the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an
equal basis with others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a
living by work freely chosen or accepted in the labour market and work
environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with
disabilities.
But the human rights case is only part of the story about
hiring people with disabilities. As documented in many business examples across
the globe, there are many benefits of employing people with disabilities which
works out to the maximum advantage of the company/business house.
Mind you, this is NOT about hiring people with
disabilities out of pity or as a charitable deed, but about making a SMART
business and financial decision.
WHY IT PAYS TO BE A ‘DISABILITY-CONFIDENT’ BUSINESS
Hiring a qualified person with a disability brings greater
benefits beyond just filling a vacancy. There's a solid business case, too. Businesses
that employ people with disabilities turn social issues into business
opportunities.
Here are just a few of the benefits of hiring people with
disabilities:
- People with disability make good, dependable employees
- People with disability take less sick leave and in fact have been shown in surveys to have 39% less absenteeism and use of sick leave than other employees
- People with disability are more likely to stay on the job---that is, they have higher retention rates. This can significantly save costs for an employer.
- People with disability are more committed to their jobs
- People with disability work across many industries, occupations and at all levels of competency
- People with disability have fewer accidents at work
- Employers/trainers report that workers with a learning disability outperform their peers without a learning disability in punctuality, attendance and ability to accept constructive criticism or redirection
- Hiring people with disabilities increases workforce morale. Many employers report that teamwork and morale improves when disabled workers become part of the staff.
- People with disability are an untapped resource of skills and talents.
- Consumers are likely to look favourably upon businesses that employ people with disabilities. Surveys show that people prefer to patronise businesses that hire disabled people
- People with disability build strong relationships with customers
- The disabled community represent an overlooked market segment that not only includes the person with a disability but his or her family and friends
(Source: ILO Global Business and Disability Network, orsgroup.com.au)
If these are not good enough reasons, then I don’t know what
is.
This is a call to all young Naga entrepreneurs to be the
FORCE that triggers CHANGE in our society. Turn this social issue into a business
opportunity and improve your bottom line. Isn’t that a great strategy – help
yourself and at the same time change lives!
And, by the way, I assure you that hiring disabled people
will not break the bank. First of all, not all disabilities require special
equipments and adaptation of space. For some others, it is a fact that they
have unique needs that require time, effort, and an initial investment on the
part of the business. Especially given our very poor conditions of
accessibility everywhere, it is quite certain that you will have to make some
adjustments around your workplace to facilitate their inclusion in your team. But
this is not as expensive as it sounds. It can be done with minimum expenditure
and tweaked according to the individual’s needs as you go along. Eventually,
you may even be inspired to make bigger changes to attract more disabled
customers.
What a wonderful thought - a ripple effect that transforms
our society!
But let me again repeat that this is not about token hiring
of disabled people because of a social or emotional obligation. Like any other
recruitment effort, it’s about finding a suitable candidate who has the skills
and can provide real value to your business. And I guarantee you that there are
many disabled people out there with all the qualifications and skills and drive
to take your business forward.
So, here’s a chance for young entrepreneurs to make your
business more profitable as well as meaningful! Be the first to step up and
become the cool business that shows the way……..