Hong Kong employers know the benefits of a diverse workplace, so why not hire people with disabilities?
Alfred C.M. Chan says employing people with disabilities brings proven benefits to companies, as many know, but too few of them in Hong Kong actually take that first step towards a diverse workplace
In July last year, non-profit organisation CareER conducted a survey to examine the employment situation among highly educated people with disabilities. Only 59 per cent of the 206 interviewed were employed at the time of the survey, whereas 28 per cent had never held a job. Over a third said it had taken them over six months to land their jobs.
Study shows Hong Kong’s disabled face harsh employment reality
The CareER survey also interviewed 103 employers, of whom only 17 per cent said they had plans to hire people with disabilities in the coming three years. Over half said they would not even consider doing so. Yet, over three quarters of the same employers said they believed such employees were no different from their able-bodied counterparts in performing their jobs and were capable of handling a variety of tasks.
Accommodating employees with disabilities may not be as complicated and costly as some employers think
So what is stopping employers from hiring them? Reasons gleaned from the survey included physical limitations of the workplace, unsuitable nature of the work and a lack of channels and opportunities for employers to understand this potential labour force.
But accommodating employees with disabilities may not be as complicated and costly as some employers think. A woman with visual impairment explained in a newspaper interview that she only needed the right computer software, a Braille keyboard and the use of electronic files to handle day-to-day paperwork. She was working in public relations at one of the biggest accounting firms.
Employment of suitably qualified people with disabilities is proven to benefit employers. It helps them to better understand the needs of customers with disabilities, and tap into this uncharted market. A US insurance company, for instance, has hired a person with hearing impairment to provide sign language interpretation for clients in need of such services.
Employers should focus on abilities, not disabilities
In addition to multinational corporations which usually have in place diversity and inclusion policies, employment of the disabled in Hong Kong is largely upheld by non-profit organisations and social enterprises. There are also the occasional small- and medium-sized businesses with well-meaning owners.