EMPLOYER RESOURCES LAUNCHED AT NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY CONFERENCE

EMPLOYER RESOURCES LAUNCHED AT NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY CONFERENCE

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Johor State Government is organizing the National Conference on Employment and Disability.

Geared towards employers in the public and private sector, education and employment service providers, disability advocates and community support agencies, the Conference will be an interactive experience bringing participants together with international and national experts in the field, as well as Malaysian employers with direct experience in employing persons with disabilities (PWDs). This one-day conference will feature presentations on innovative employment practices and policies followed by feedback sessions for participants to offer reactions, suggestions and policy implications.

Two resources for employers will also be launched: a video aimed at encouraging employers to hire PWDs and counteracting negative stereotypes that they might hold regarding PWDs; and a booklet containing state-related information to guide employers in their efforts to successfully employ PWDs.

Additionally, an exhibition of prize – winning photographs courtesy of the International Labor Organization (ILO) will be held in conjunction with the Conference. The exhibition is titled “Beyond Barriers: Images of decent work for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific“. It comprises 30 photographs from the 2007 Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities photo contest. This is the first time the photographs are exhibited in Malaysia.

PWDs represent an important development challenge worldwide as they are disproportionately undereducated, untrained, unemployed and poor. Employment is touted as crucial in promoting economic as well as social independence among the disabled.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 370 million PWDs in the Asia Pacific region, with 238 million of them of working age. Their unemployment rate is usually double that of the general population and often as high as 80% or more.

There are currently 220,250 PWDs registered with the Social Welfare Department, of which 27,554 or 12 per cent of total registered PWDs are in Johor.

Y.A.B. Dato’ Hj. Abdul Ghani Othman, Menteri Besar Johor, Y. Bhg. Dato’ Meme Zainal Rashid, Director General of the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia, and James George Chacko, Assistant Resident Representative, UNDP  will officiate the event.

Details of the event are as below:

 For more information, please contact ---

•  Anita Ahmad, Programme Manager, UNDP, T: +603-20915105,E: anita.ahmad@undp.org
• Mary Chen, UNDP Communications Consultant, M: +6013 - 6011 515, E: marywchen@gmail.com  
• Suriani Kempe, UNDP-UPENJ Project Manager, T: +607-266 6608, M: +6012-7900 204, E: suri.kempe@yahoo.com/ suriani@johor.gov.my

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