US Adviser Focuses On Overcoming Obstacles To Persons With Disabilities In The World Of Work

Illustration of disability (Photo: dock. Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Special Advisor to the Rights of International Persons with Disabilities (US) Sara Minkara assesses that efforts need to be made to overcome obstacles faced by people with disabilities. Especially, to be able to get a job.

"What are the obstacles faced by people with disabilities to be able to enter the world of work and be involved in the development of the workforce?" Minkara said quoting Antara.

To solve the problem, according to him, the government first needs to answer the question of why these people with disabilities are neglected or left behind.

Minkara said that the obstacles faced by people with disabilities are very holistic. For this reason, the government and other interested parties need to ensure that people with disabilities can get the right education, and can access the system widely.

"The government also needs to ensure inclusive transportation and infrastructure that can be accessed by people with disabilities, as well as the need for companies to see the values or abilities of people with disabilities inclusively so that they are not underestimated," he said.

By dealing with these obstacles, people with disabilities are expected to be able to gain the same access as other people in general, so that in the end they can also get the job they want.

By overcoming these obstacles, the company is also expected to see opportunities for benefits in empowering people with disabilities in the workforce.

"How can we encourage the system to say that 'we want to involve people with disabilities because this will benefit us, because we can take advantage of their contributions, their abilities, their innovations, and this will benefit everyone," he said.

Minkara cites a report by professional service provider Accenture which states that companies can make a profit by employing people with disabilities in their place.

"Let's raise the narrative. Let's make sure that employers can see their value rather than look at it from the point of view of 'I have to do this'. On the other hand, we want to get to the point where the employer says 'I want to hire people with disabilities'," Minkara said.