Call for employers to undergo disability equality training

KUALA LUMPUR: Employers are advised to attend Disability Equality Training (DET) workshops to encourage a wider understanding and knowledge of the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) as well as help create an environment and society that is sensitive to the needs of the group.

OKU Sentral president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi said the training was also able to change the people's views and perceptions of the PwDs as well as help plan the support that could be offered to them.

"OKU Sentral has a team that provides DET where PwD themselves will teach about their disabilities and needs and how employers can help provide PwD-friendly facilities.

"This effort is important to ensure that all PwDs will have the same rights just like any other Malaysians," she told Bernama today.

Ras Adiba was commenting on a viral video showing a deaf woman expressing her disappointment over being denied her right to order a meal at the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant.

Commenting further, Ras Adiba said such incidents had been going on all over the world for a long time, including in developed countries where awareness of the rights and needs of PwD is still low.

Therefore, she hopes that awareness towards PWDs would be inculcated since kindergarten to ensure that future generations will better understand and respect them.

"Employers need to understand that PwDs also contribute to the economy, and as customers, they need to be treated equally," she said.

-- BERNAMA