Disabled in Oman need jobs, not pity

Disabled or physically challenged people are frustrated after being denied the chance to work and most of them are overlooked when they apply for jobs just because they were born with a disability.
It is about time employers from different sectors address the issue and offer equal opportunities not just for gender equality, but people with a variety of disabilities. The right to work for all is being recognised by the Ministry of Manpower. It had passed a law more than a decade ago to make it mandatory that 2 per cent of the total workforce of any organisation should be reserved for the disabled. Yet, most of such candidates are snubbed when they apply.
While people who fall ill are given a second chance to return to employment, individuals with disability are not given even one chance of proving their worth. The employment gap between candidates with disability and without disability is widening when it comes to landing a job. The frustration starts with the application form when an applicant is required to declare whether they have a disability or not. Employers treat such a declaration as a red herring.
Most disabled young people are well educated, thanks to the efforts made by the Ministries of Education and Higher Education. However, it is different when it comes to the job market.
The disabled also want attitudes to change. The phrase ‘fit for work’ is isolating them from being considered for a job. They feel that being in a wheel chair, being deaf, blind or with polio is widely considered as being unfit for work. Such disabilities do not prevent them from performing a lot of tasks if given the opportunity. But breaking the vicious cycle of discrimination is never easy. It is a thorny issue and the one that is never discussed openly.
If physically disabled applicants have a steep hill to climb when it comes to securing employment, those with mental health conditions or learning difficulties find it impossible. Their greatest challenge is to be taken seriously. The lucky ones, who do get employed, face different forms of prejudice at their work places. They feel excluded. The reason is that the people who work with them cannot adjust to their particular needs. Colleagues find it difficult to cope with impairments, because they don’t know how to deal with it. This is the reason why they close the door to more disabled people.
All employers have to do is to give them the essential support they need. The support that can keep them at work can also open doors for more. Support, such as easier mobility, sign language or visual aids, are available in abundance in the market and economically viable to acquire. Other support could include providing role models and peer networks to make them more comfortable. Statistics from local hospitals show that one in every five children born in the Sultanate has a disability of some description. This shows that the number of people with disabilities is not falling.
To afford them equal employment opportunities is not doing them a favour, but it is part of the national obligation. To deny them jobs because they look different or take a little longer to complete a task is morally wrong.
People with disabilities are not stupid, but they need a little consideration to prove their worth. It is not surprising that most of them feel there is a general conspiracy against them. Employers need to think beyond the label to give them a full representation in the corporate world. The private sector needs to think of tangible ways to change their hiring practices. The negative misconceptions must be removed by dispelling myths about disabilities—the myth that the disabled are not capable or competitive.