Including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in employment is not a favour. Still, it is their basic Fundamental human right. It is the social and legal responsibility of businesses to provide them equal opportunities in employment, said Khalid Zaman Khan, Board Director Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and convenor of Pakistan Business and Disability Network (PBDN) while giving the certificate to the participants of training on improving disability confidence of employers.
The training was arranged by the PBDN to sensitise professional managers from the corporate sector on the issue of disability and to encourage them to promote the inclusion of persons with disability in employment and training programs.
Khalid said, “The EFP and Sightsavers have established the PBDN as an employers-led forum to promote employment and social inclusion of PWDs, which is important for achieving the objectives of decent work for all and realising sustainable development agenda 2030, especially the principle of Leaving No One Behind (LNOB).”
He added that the businesses already recognise the need for social inclusion and have initiated several initiatives to attract talent with disabilities and promote their employability. He highlighted the need to recognise employers championing disability inclusion at their workplaces at the highest level.
Ghulam Nabi Nizamani, Director General of Sindh Persons with Disabilities Protection Authority (SPDPA), highlighted the programs initiated by the Government and urged the employers’ representatives to incorporate disability in their employment policies and programs. He requested to start an internship and, on the job, training programs for youth with disabilities to promote employment opportunities.
Syed Nazar Ali, Secretary General Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP), appreciated the response from employers on this critically important issue. He reiterated that achieving Decent Work Country Program would not be possible without the inclusion of people with disabilities into employment. People with disabilities have great potential and aspiration to be part of the formal employment sector; this is only about providing them with the right opportunities, he mentioned.
The employers’ representatives agreed on further training to improve the disability confidence of employees and senior leadership, accessibility assessment of workplaces and employers’ policies, and making the Pakistan Business and Disability Network a central point for connecting job-ready youth with disability and employers. The training was organised to improve the disability confidence of employers and facilitated by national and international trainers from Sightsavers. The session ended with a call to action and a clear roadmap.