Call to employ people with disabilities

THE disabled have hidden abilities that can be nurtured by training for employment, Port Moresby Sheltered Workshop Inc (PMSW) manager Ross Tito said.
“They have special abilities just like any abled person,” he told The National on Friday.
“They are just physically disadvantaged.”
Tito said the PMSW was always on the lookout for employment opportunities suitable for the disabled in the city.
“We see physically challenged people as equal to others and who are equally competent to deliver a specific task or job,” he said.
“We are now focusing on empowering the disabled with basic developmental skills to build on their confidence and to see themselves as equal members in societies or communities. “They also can contribute positively to development and nation building.”
Tito said the PMSW was conducting a programme called community based rehabilitation (CBR) that stressed on empowering the disabled to be equipped with basic work skills.
Established in 1969, the PMSW is supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) under its rollout programme to assist people living with disabilities in PNG.
Tito said the programme was operated by a staff of seven, including three with physical disabilities, who were trained and skilled to run the CBR.
He said not all persons living with disabilities would want to become a wood worker so CBR was being promoted via the media to reach out to suitable candidates.
“Due to limited space, only two or three people were selected for the six-week training programme or CBR,” he said.
“Upon completion of the training, we try to find job placement for them with various interested organisations who are willing to employ people with disabilities.” he added.