Equal rights for disabled too

Equal rights for disabled too

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is commited to ensuring that the disabled enjoy equal rights as normal people, in all aspects of life, including employment and accessibility.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie said, in all national commitments and government policies, the rights of the disabled to have access to employment were constituted.

She said Article 9 of the Convention on the Rights of the Disabled and Section 29 of the Disabled Persons Act 2008 stated the rights of a disabled person to have access to employment on par with others.

To realise these aspirations and objectives, Heng said numerous strategies and programmes were planned and implemented by the government, which included ensuring the placement of disabled people in the civil service and private sector.

The deputy minister was speaking at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Community Based Rehabilition Convention 2010 here today.

The government through its agencies, has also improved on the support system such as job coaching to ensure the disabled obtain employment and remain employed; enhancing training programmes and financing micro credit to assist the disabled in conducting businesses, and offering tax reduction to employers on the cost of renovation to work premises for disabled employees to encourage the private sector to employ more disabled people.

At the same time, the ministry also provided assistance through the soho (small office home office) programme to encourage the disabled to work from home.

Heng said, organising the inaugural convention which was participated by 31 countries, was in accordance with the Government's commitment to empower the people with the 1Malaysia spirit.