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Inclusive workplaces An increasing number of organisations are hiring people with disabilities (PWDs). HRM looks at the benefits of PWDs in the workplace and how employers can effectively integrate them into their organisations By Priya de Langen
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ccording 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.
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“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