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Christopher Watson
(R), a representative of the US, speaks at a symposium on Promoting the
Employment of Persons with Disabilities.
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Talking with Vietnam
News Agency (VNA) reporters on the sidelines of a Symposium on Promoting the
Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Hanoi on May 10, delegates revealed
that most of APEC members have extensive legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks
that support the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce.
Jenjeera Boonsombat, a disabled delegate from Thailand, said her country has
given due attention and priorities to the disabled and encouraged persons with
disabilities to work for private companies and state agencies. Thai people have
also changed their attitude towards the ability of persons with disabilities
and understood that the disabled also have the same job opportunities as normal
persons, she noted.
Thailand’s Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act requires the employment
of 1 percent of disabled persons by all public and private sector employers
with more than 100 employees. Private sector firms who fail to meet this
requirement must pay into the Fund for Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities. Public agencies failing to meet the one percent are required to
provide concessions or public spaces for persons with disabilities to sell
products.
Other APEC economies also use quota systems to mandate the hiring of persons
with disabilities in the government and/or the private sectors. Quota systems
set a minimum percentage for employing persons with disabilities.
Japan’s Act for the Promotion of Persons with Disabilities contains a quota of
2.3 percent for public and 2 percent for private employers. A levy is collected
from those not meeting the quota, whereas an allowance is provided to those
businesses that meet or exceed their quota. Also, the Act provides for grants
to those business owners who satisfy necessary conditions to further promote
and help to maintain the employment of persons with disabilities. Noncompliant
companies with more than 200 employees must pay a fine of 50,000 yen per vacant
position per month.
Su Chao Ju, Director of the Employment Assistance for People with Disabilities
and Disadvantages Division under the Chinese Taipei Ministry of Labour’s
Workforce Development Agency, said Chinese Taipei has more than 1 million
persons with disabilities. The economy has adopted a policy to ensure a compulsory
ratio of persons with disabilities in the workforce.
Chinese Taipei’s People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act requires that a
private sector firm with more than 67 employees employ at least one person with
disabilities, at a ratio of not less than 1 percent of the total number of
employees. Firms with less than 67 employees are required to pay a subsidy to
the Disabled Employment Fund, based on the difference in number of employees
multiplied by the monthly basic wage.
The Philippine law requires that government agencies and government-owned
corporations reserve 1 percent of jobs for persons with disabilities. The law
also recommends that private corporations with more than 100 employees meet the
same quota.
In the Republic of Korea, a business with 50 or more employees is subject to
quotas for persons with disabilities: 3 percent for government, 2.3 to 3
percent for public organizations, and 2.3 percent for private companies.
Russia’s law also requires a quota for the employment of persons with
disabilities of 2 to 4 percent of the average number of workers. This quota
applies to employers of 100 or more persons. For those employing not less than
35 but not more than 100, quotas can be imposed up to 3 percent.
It could be said that APEC member economies are working to ensure employment
for persons with disabilities who represent about one in every six, or 650
million people in total in the region. By integrating them into the workforce,
economies could enhance the economic wellbeing of a significant number of
people and provide an outlet for their unique contributions toward regional
economic growth and innovation.
Agus Diono, a delegate from Indonesia, said the symposium did not mention
charity activities for persons with disabilities but discussed how to ensure
equal rights for them, including rights to education, protection and
employment. It also shared experience in supporting persons with disabilities
to integrate well into society.
Hosted by the Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG) in
collaboration with APEC Group of Friends on Disability Issues (GoFD), the
symposium formed part of the second APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 2) and
related meetings.
Source: VOV
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