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Employing disabled people a long-term investment, says ILO
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Long-term investment – A Bangladeshi disabled worker harvests mushrooms. The International Labor Organization (ILO) says employing disabled people is a long-term investment.
(ILO/-)
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mploying disabled people must be seen as a long-term investment because the resulting benefits cannot be enjoyed immediately, says the International Labor Organization (ILO).
"The challenge here is how to explain to people that there are advantages to employing people with disabilities," ILO country director Francesco d'Ovidio said during a business forum in Jakarta on Tuesday.
"It takes time. If you look at the curve, initially the cost is higher than the benefits, probably. But if you go on and on, then you will see the benefits. It's like investing in social protection."
According to the ILO's study, employing disabled people could have a positive impact on employee morale, bring diversity to the company, raise the quality of services to customers from disabled people and also increase productivity as disabled people tend to be more diligent than non-disabled people.
Companies must take the right approaches in their activities, such as by developing advocacy strategies and involving NGOs that support disabled people in various training sessions, the ILO stated.
"This is also a part of the UN's 2030 agenda. The new sustainable goal has been established by the international community [...] and there are goals about equal and decent employment and decent opportunity for everyone," d'Ovidio said.
There are around 38 million people with disabilities in Indonesia who still face attitudinal, physical and informational barriers to equal opportunities in the working world, according to the ILO.
The House of Representatives passed on March 17 the rights of persons with disabilities bill, bringing the legislation in line with the UN convention that Indonesia ratified in 2011. The law will preserve the education and employment rights of disabled people. (vps/ebf)
