SALEH AL SHAIBANY - saleh_shaibani@yahoo.com - Most employers in Oman still discriminate disabled people by denying them a fair chance to prove themselves in workplaces.
There is no reliable statistics in the country on how many people fall in the category of disability. The Oman Disabled Society’s estimates show that about 65,000 to 90,000 people suffer from various forms of disabilities in the Sultanate.
Many disabled people say that there are not enough accessibility in work places and very few facilities in public to help them cope with everyday life. They also believe that there are not enough social workers visiting homes of the disabled people to help them rehabilitate.
One of the most devastating crippling diseases which is on the rise in Oman is multiple sclerosis, known in a short form, MS. The Ministry of Health is providing free of charge the expensive medication for MS patients but employers are still reluctant recruiting them. And so are people suffering from deafness, blindness and the paraplegics.
We also need more rehabilitation centers in Oman. We cannot just rely on the government to provide everything. The private sector has to invest in this important sector without delay.
Disabled people who can work and who want to work face many barriers here in Oman. They have fewer opportunities to develop skills and experience, face practical obstacles, such as inaccessible transport, and often experience negative attitudes from employers.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, employers are bound to reserve two percent of their workforce to disabled people but the practice is rarely followed by both the private and public sectors.
Those few disabled people who are lucky to find employment, employers refuse to make suitable adjustments to suit their disabilities. Employers also do not understand the challenges disabled people face at work or offer little support to overcome these challenges.
Other disabled call for the Ministry of Manpower to monitor the welfare at their workplaces. Also they urge the government to make sure employers adhere to the two-percent quota of giving jobs to the disabled. A full recognition for some disabled people is a matter of life and death.
What is needed is both the government and the private sector to seriously understand the need and end discrimination so the disabled can reach out to their full potential. If they don’t get enough support, then some of them may lose the will to live. It is that serious.
Doing what is needed for the disabled, will pave the way for the future of babies with various disabilities. Some workplaces in Oman do not even have references for disability. It is as if the disabled do not have what it takes to accomplish well in offices. This is how some recruiters see it. It is important to remember that the disabled people do not need sympathy but an opportunity to prove what they can do. According to the ministry of education’s records, over 35,000 students are enrolled in schools with different disabilities and most of them graduate.
This is one proof that there is nothing wrong with their mental faculties. However, even those who have understanding difficulties can be useful to workplaces with the right training and understanding. It is just a stigma created by ordinary people who think the disabled cannot fit in. With the right environment, they can compete almost as good as anyone provided they get the opportunities.
To move forward, what Oman needs is a proper legislation to end the existence of anti-discrimination policies against the disable people. There is no denial that there has been a huge improvement in the country in medical facilities and technology but if this progress does not benefit the disable then it is a one-way progress.
If the disable people get the proper work opportunities, the government would save money in giving out free wheel chairs, hearing aids and other facilities since they would afford to buy themselves. It is a matter of economy as well. In conclusion, private companies must discard their discriminately polices and take more disabled people without any reservation. The government also need to establish better statistics to keep tag with disability and the opportunities available to the disabled.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
