Employers group helps integrate disabled into workforce
By Ng Baoying, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 June 2007 1657 hrs

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SINGAPORE: Three physically disabled workers in one company have done well enough to own cars to drive to work.

Three others in another company have won employee awards.

Their disabilities have not stopped them from delivering results.

And their employers are out to prove it.

Hotel attendant Edward Wong has been winning awards for his work attitude.

"I want to work more... perfect like other people. Whatever they can do, we also can do it," he said.

His other disabled colleagues share his views.

"I am partly handicapped you see. After the operation, initially I couldn't walk. It was very difficult for me to find a job here," said Rebecca Uejayaletchmi, a call centre agent.

"My husband is a brain damaged bedridden case, you see. I have two children going to school. I need to come out to support them. So I went around myself, [looking] for a job."

And she found it at Holiday Inn Park View Singapore. The hotel currently employs 15 disabled workers.

Said Shantha De Silva, General Manager, Holiday Inn Park View SG, "As much as we benefit from the community, I think we also have a responsibility to contribute something back.

"We never had a question of productivity. It was a question of what opportunities we had for them, where can we fit them in.

"And going forward, we're looking for additional opportunities where we can encourage them to join us."

Holiday Inn Park View is one of eleven companies which have formed an alliance - calling themselves Enabling Employers.

Their aim is to draw more disabled people into the workforce. They have also come up with a fund to help companies adapt to hiring such workers.

With monthly events and a job fair planned, the group hopes to double the number of disabled people employed under this scheme. Companies interested can contact the Singapore National Employers' Federation. - CNA/yy