Thursday 28 May 2015

[Straits Times] Help disabled upgrade work skills

IT IS important that more companies continue to form partnerships with the different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help people with disabilities lead better lives by employing them ("People with disabilities losing jobs to technology"; May 18).
NGOs that are helping people with disabilities should encourage and support these people to go for skill-set upgrading courses that would match the technological demands of today's jobs.
Such special courses will give added value to people with disabilities. Companies such as Singapore Airlines and the many NGOs could share these experiences with other companies that are willing to hire people with disabilities.
The Government and NGOs could help those people who find it hard to upgrade themselves to secure less-demanding work, such as in the area of administration.
Though retraining is a challenging task, with time and effort, NGOs should be able to find jobs for every person with disabilities.
The Government also needs to create employment schemes for people with disabilities, to help them find jobs and to address the misconception that these people are unable to contribute to society.
Our society should not stigmatise those with disabilities, as they can still contribute in the workplace, given some time and patience.
It takes the combined efforts of everyone to help those with disabilities find the motivation and support they need to make their work feel appreciated and valued.
Darren Chan Keng Leong