KUALA LUMPUR -- The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is asking more employers to provide jobs to the disabled so as to recognise their capabilities in society.
Its deputy minister, Hannah Yeoh, said that many CSR programmes were organised for the disabled but they were “one-off” projects and were not followed through over the years.
"Cooperation between NGOs and organisations is crucial in ensuring that disabled people are recognised not only for their capabilities in the work environment, but also to build and restore their confidence in society.
“If employers or organisations are keen to engage or continue their initiatives with the disabled in the job sector, we (the ministry) are ready to give them advice,” she told reporters after opening the ‘Starbucks Signing Store's Second Anniversary’.
As of June 30, she said a total of 474,579 disabled people were registered with the Social Welfare Department under the ministry.
Of the total, Yeoh said 168,051 were with physical disabilities, 164,600 with learning disabilities and 42,440 were vision impaired. There were also 39,450 who were mentally challenged, 35,384 who were hearing-impaired and 2,469 with speech difficulties. Another 22,185 had other disabilities.
Meanwhile, she said the Starbucks Signing Store had provided a platform for the hearing-impaired community to work and also to continue developing soft skills that would allow them to lead a fulfilling life.
With the help of corporations, Yeoh said that there was potential for more workplaces in Malaysia to become inclusive and more diverse especially in recognising the disabled who could use their skills and contribute to society.
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