DSAL hopes for work promotions for disabled

Vong Yim Mui

A total of 78 enterprises have been recognized yesterday for their efforts in hiring people with disabilities during the seventh edition of the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL)’s program to recognize outstanding employers who are dedicated to hiring people with disabilities.

Compared to the program’s previous edition, which occurred in 2015, nine more employers were honored last week. In total, the 78 awarded enterprises in Macau recruited 325 disabled staff, representing a 13 percent increase in the number noted in the sixth edition (amounting to 36 additional employees).

Not only can the efforts of local employers be inferred from the number of honored companies and the number of disabled staff, but they can also be inferred from the number of sectors in which employees with disabilities are represented, the bureau said.

In the previous edition, employees with disabilities were employed across 17 industries, but this number expanded to 22 over the last two years.

DSAL Director Wong Chi Hong noted that among all of the 325 disabled staff, 35 percent, 13 percent and 12 percent work in gaming and hospitality industries, governmental organizations, and the cleaning industry respectively.

“As the disabled’s education degrees and techniques improve continuously, they are already able to undertake jobs in more sectors and undertake more types of jobs,” said Wong. “In the past, they mainly did basic-level tasks, but in recent years they have been sitting in more professional and multi-cultural positions.”

The director of the Social Welfare Bureau, Vong Yim Mui, said that “nowadays, regardless of the size of the enterprises, they are all very willing to accept disabled employees, […] the employment situation for the disabled is not bad currently.”

“Hopefully, they can be given more opportunities to be promoted,” noted Vong.

According to Vong, the general public and employers within Macau are giving more opportunities to people with disabilities. Even though only some are currently being employed, there are more individuals with disabilities who would like employment. Vong also informed that IAS is providing significant and varied assistance to help people with disabilities to obtain employment.

Vong disclosed that the government has already established subsidies for employers to encourage them to hire people with disabilities.

The awards program was established in 2005 and is held every two years. The first edition awarded 35 enterprises which came from 17 industries. JZ