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Singapore. Employers have been urged to tap a government fund to create more opportunities for disabled adults to work in their companies.

In fact, for every 100 able-bodied people hired, a company should take in one to two disabled persons, suggested Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob yesterday.

This way, more people with special needs will be able to find jobs and become financially independent, she added.

The so-called 'Open Door Fund' provides a subsidy of up to 100,000 Singaporean dollars ($ 79,000) to a company that redesigns jobs, modifies the workplace, or funds training and integration programs for disabled workers.

Speaking to reporters at the Children's Charities Association of Singapore (CCA) Annual Presentation yesterday, Halimah said it is critical for some companies to lead by example in this area.

'When we have more and more companies taking leadership, then that will create the momentum and amplify the pressure. (It will) put more pressure on others to come forward and also employ people with disabilities,' she said.

Currently, only 450 adults with disabilities are gainfully employed under the fund, a number that is 'still very small', noted Halimah.

'We can pump in money to make things more accessible and to make the environment friendlier, but it would take longer to reach the minds, the attitudes and perceptions. But that is something we need to tackle.'

One key concern is helping young people with disabilities make the transition from school to the workforce, she added. This is an area which will be looked into by a new steering committee set up to meet the needs of the disabled over the next five years.

Halimah earlier presented awards to about 15 CCA donors and volunteers at a ceremony held at the Cerebral Palsy Centre in Pasir Ris.

Receiving the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports' long service award for dedicated voluntary services to the CCA were retiree Suzie Chia, 52, businessman Steven Lee, 75, and financial manager Jeffrey Tan, 62.

The three of them together spent a total of 63 years helping children with special needs.

'I love children; that's why I picked this sector to volunteer in,' said Lee, who has four children and one grandchild.

Chia started by working with stroke patients at St Andrew's Community Hospital. Now she helps out with administrative work at the CCA.

Tan began volunteering in 1989 after reading a story in The Straits Times about a dearth of volunteers.

'It was a clipping about the Community Chest getting people to sign up as volunteers at a carnival in Orchard Road. Hardly anyone did, so I made the conscious effort to go down to the office in Penang Road then to sign up,' he said.

And the main reason for staying the course for this long was succinctly summed up by Mr Lee: 'Whatever we receive from society, it is only right we give back.'



Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.