Employers encouraged to transform
Special Needs School applauds the Commission for Employment Equity's commitment to workplace transformation.
Unity College applauds the Commission for Employment Equity’s commitment to workplace transformation. Unity College is a special needs school that offers therapy and extra murals for kids aged 3 to 23 years old. The school aims to realise the full potential of children and young adults with special educational needs through the provision of high-quality education in order to prepare them with skills to become productive, independent members of society.
The school’s comment came after the chairperson of the Commission for Employment Equity (CEE), Tabea Kabinde lamented the slow pace of transformation in the workplace for designated groups, especially for people with disabilities. Kabinde addressed employment equity on their roadshow under the theme, ‘Real transformation makes business sense’.
The roadshows were to create awareness of the recently promulgated employment equity amendments, sector targets, and regulations, while it deals with the impact of employment equity in the labour market by sharing the results of the 23rd CEE Annual Report.
“Out of 27 532 reports received, covering a total of 7 215 960 employees, only 1.2% are persons with disabilities. We are now stretching it to only 2% as a proposed target. Please do not overlook people with disabilities,” Kabinde said.
Unity College principal Jeanine Kerr applauded the commission’s radical steps to encourage employers to afford everyone equal opportunities. “As part of the special needs sector, we applaud the state’s effort to encourage the employment of people with disabilities. The private sector is quick to employ people with physical disabilities where accommodations are easily made.
“People with visual and auditory impairments are also employed by the private sector, ahead of persons with special needs as physical visual and hearing impaired people have the full cognitive ability.
“Adults with special needs have lower cognitive ability and are therefore overlooked despite what they can bring to the workplace. There are many opportunities to employ these people because of their willingness to learn a simple task well and repeated it accurately with pride and dignity. We thank companies who have seen the value of adults with special needs in the workplace and encourage the private sector to have an open mind and invest in these valuable individuals and what they have to offer.”
Kabinde also highlighted that even though there are employers who are transforming their workplaces in terms of hiring people with disabilities, very few go beyond the 1.2%. He urged employers to be part of the transformation as anyone can have disabilities due to an accident or illness. The national series of workshops and roadshows started on July 18, and will conclude on August 29, as it aims to reach more people and address all issues related to employment equity.
