South Africa: Company Recruits Workers with Disabilities

Independent Online (IOL) ( www.iol.co.za ) reports that the black empowerment company the Pha Pahma Africa Employeee Empowerment Trust and the Workforce Group Holdings have developed a general staff service provider Pha Phama Africa Staff Services that is aggressively promoting recruiting needs of people with disabilities to mainstream positions.  

The (South African) Employment Equity Act requires eliminating unfair discrimination, but up to now Pha Phama feels most companies have focused on race and gender as a means of eliminating discrimination, but have not, as yet, done much about people with disabilities.

Workforce Group Holdings, which is composed of various companies, will provide the initial development funding, management, guidance, infrastructure support and administrative assistance.

Development manager Zandile Ludwaba says "the ultimate goal is for Pha Phama to be completely managed and staffed by people from disadvantaged communities," IOL reports.   Additionally, Ludwaba says a person with a disability who is well-qualified should be in a position to find a good job since employers need to fulfill their obligation in terms of the Employment Equity Act.   

But, of course, there exists the seemingly chronic stigmas associated with hiring people with disabilities.   Employers think hiring people with disabilities may create problems in the workplace, often assuming companies will incur additional expenses in making their workplace accessible.

"This is not necessarily the case," Ludwaba points out, "as many workplaces require little or no adaptation."

Additionally, the IOL article points out that Pha Phama provides the support employers and employees with disabilities need to form a more productive working relationship, and Ludwaba says most existing employees soon settle down after finding that people with disabilities are really not that different from their other colleagues.

This sort of coalition between organizations like Pha Phama and established business organizations, such as those represented in Workforce Group Holdings, is an ideal way to mainstream people with disabilities into business and by doing so dispelling preconceived notions of a segment of the population who can have no proactive influence on society.

As Ludwaba points out, "Our applicants with disabilities aren't asking for handouts.   They are prepared to be as productive as their able-bodied colleagues, and they expect to earn market-related salaries."

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