Last week, a joint effort between my ministry and the Ministry of Justice, Public Dialogue and the Family saw the launch of a scheme designed to help disabled persons move into employment within our communities.

Society needs to become more inclusive for its own sake- Dolores Cristina

The country’s 68 local councils may now avail themselves of the services of disabled members of society who wish to move into the labour market. This is another scheme intended to create employment opportunities for some of the most vulnerable members of society. It is yet another scheme towards full inclusion, personal dignity and individual independence.

In spite of the great strides ahead in the disability sector in the last quarter of a century, there are still barriers when it comes to the employment of disabled persons, at times even when the impairment is mild and the potential very promising.

There are employers who are reluctant to recruit disabled persons because they are still under the mistaken perception that a disabled employee will turn out to be a liability. True, the decision may, at times, require an element of innovation in the effort to ensure that the employee’s needs are addressed but facts show clearly that, once disabled persons are empowered and given equitable access to work opportunities, they are loyal, hard-working, committed and undeniably productive.

In spite of an excellent Equal Opportunities Act and a ground-breaking National Commission for Persons with Disabilities that is now 25 years young, as a society we need to carry on working to further promote the rights of disabled persons to gainful employment and to provide a stronger business case for their inclusion in the workforce.

Role models invariably light the way. Recently, the national television station carried significant features centred around disabled persons who are making landmark contributions to our communities and society at large. These features clearly show that people with disabilities make for very good, dependable employees.

Their employers consistently report that disabled workers perform on a par or better than their nondisabled peers. They are extremely loyal and are more likely to stay on the job, reducing the costs of all that is linked to job turnovers, including recruitment and training costs and productivity.

Due to the constant challenges that disabled persons come across in daily life, they possess highly developed problem-solving skills. These talents and capabilities, if channelled well, provide a source of skills and talents.

There are many more persons whose potential is not being wholly tapped, with society missing out on their valuable services.

Over the years, the Employment and Training Corporation has launched a number of initiatives in support of employment for disabled persons. Schemes that were specifically targeted for disabled persons include Bridging the Gap, a job experience scheme that covers a maximum of 12 months, the cooperative agreements entered into with two NGOs, which provide pre-employment training, followed by placements and the Employment Aid Programme, which put into practice the concept of positive discrimination towards disabled persons by extending the wage subsidy period from one year to a maximum of three years.

We are now taking a further step, highlighting our determination to promote employment for disabled persons. Through this new scheme we will be working hand in hand with local councils. Local councils are critical and crucial for the sustainable development of our localities in terms of the social, environmental and economic strata.

Through this new employment initiative, local councils are being given the opportunity to employ disabled persons in various posts, according to the needs of the council itself. The government will be fully subsidising the employees’ wages for a three-year term.

In view of the flexibility that needs to be adopted in the employment of disabled persons, employment should be offered not only on a full-time basis but also on reduced hours or as part-time work and teleworking.

The employee may be engaged for 40 hours, 30 hours or 20 hours per week, with the remuneration based on the national minimum wage. There will only be a pro rata decrease to a disability benefit when the minimum wage is exceeded. Ideally, the employee should work with the local council of the community in which s/he resides or, should this turn out to be impossible, in a locality not far from the place of residence, thus minimising transport difficulties as much as possible.

We are living in a highly competitive world where the drive to compete may be precluding disabled persons from participating in the labour market. Society needs to become more inclusive for its own sake. Managing diversity and maximising every individual’s potential is a major factor towards achieving an overall success. Disabled persons and their abilities are a significant part of the whole tapestry.

The author is Minister of Education and Employment.