Job fair for the disabled opens doors

Equal opportunity: A hearing impaired man (left) answers questions using sign language through an assistant (center) during an interview at a section of a job fair designed for deaf people at Balai Kartini in Jakarta on Friday. JP/Sita Dewi The 38-year-old woman graduated from a US university, but her higher education doesn’t guarantee her a good job because of visual impairment.

Irma Hikmayanti, a liberal arts graduate from St. Thomas University in Houston, Texas, was among the first disabled job-seekers interviewed at a job fair that reserved a desk for the disabled at Balai Kartini in South Jakarta on Friday morning.

The 60-square-meter setup was in place for a three-day job fair held from Friday to Sunday involving hundreds of companies in Indonesia.

Expectations are that companies might find 100 qualified people, regardless of various disabilities, to be trained and employed in various business capacities.

“It has been difficult for me to find a permanent job. I am so glad that there is finally a job fair for disabled people, indicating that there are some people who pay attention to us. Even though we may be disabled, it does not mean that we do not deserve [the jobs],” she said.

Irma, along with four blind friends, came to the job fair with high hopes of finding a steady job and income for a better future.

Irma lost her vision in December 2008, 30 years after she was diagnosed with glaucoma and five years after she graduated with honors from the St. Thomas University with a degree in liberal arts.

Irma presently works as a part-time translator at the German-based humanitarian Christopher Blinden Mission and also as an English teacher at the Mitra Netra Foundation.

Andreas Paulus, (24), shared the same pursuit.

“I have been trying to find a job ever since I graduated senior high school in 2007. I have sent many applications but I have never received a single response. I hope I might find one here,” he said.

Andreas, who studied graphic design and computers, hoped that he could find a job that might suit his passion. “I want to do something I like and I want to make my own money so I can help my parents, acquire experience and contribute something to the public,” he said. “I truly hope that companies will treat us as they treat other people when we are all looking for jobs.”

It was Precious One, a non-profit organization committed to helping disabled people, that organized the disabled corner at the job fair.

Director Ratnawati Sutedjo said she had received many requests for jobs from disabled people.

“We have trained and employed 37 deaf people. Many others ask for jobs and I thought we needed to find a way for them so I could approach the JosDB [online recruitment company] and asked them if they could provide a place after lobbying 200 companies involved in the job fair asking for offers to provide the same opportunities to disabled people.”

Ratna did not receive the expected positive responses from the companies. “I found at least 25 companies, varying from soft drinks to garment industries who were willing to provide positions for disabled people — mostly desk jobs.”

According to the Jakarta Social Agency, there are 21,000 disabled people in Jakarta, 19,000 of whom come from poor families. (swd)