8. How Human Resource Management can support employees with special needs.

 8. How Human Resource Management can support employees with special needs.

As per Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No.28 of 1996, "Any person who, as a result of any deficiency in his physical or mental capabilities, whether congenital or not, is unable by himself to ensure for himself, wholly or partly, the necessities of life" is defined as a person with special needs in Sri Lanka.   

According to the Census of Population and Housing (2012), 1,617,924 million (or 87 per every 1000 persons aged five and above population in the country) have either partial or full difficulties in seeing, hearing, walking, cognition, self-care or communication. Several policies and legislation to support persons with special needs have been enacted or adapted in the last 25 years. These includes,

a) the ‘Rehabilitation of the Visually Handicapped Trust Fund, Act No.9 of 1992

b) Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, No.28 of 1996

c) the National Policy on Disability for Sri Lanka of 2003.

However, the share of population economically active (i.e., either employed or unemployed) was much less for those with difficulties, compared to those without difficulties. This indicates that the labor market for persons with difficulties is not as favorable as that for persons without difficulties. Ang, M. C., Ramayah, T., and Amin, H. (2015) has stated that most of the people fail to identify that the population with disabilities is an important but largely unutilized part of human resources and the reason for this may be the prejudice and misunderstanding about their ability to compete and participate in the open market.

 

So how HR can support people with special needs.

1.   1. Making the hiring process more accessible:

Organizations can make their hiring processes more accessible for special needy people such as avoiding physical abbreviations unless it is a mandate, make application forms compatible with screen reader etc.

2.  2. Designing attractive benefit packages:

Organizations can add employee assistant programs, special medical insurance packages or disability insurance, special retirement plans etc.

3    3. Creating a safe and inclusive work environment:

For creating an environment where they can freely mingle with others and to encouraging empathy and acceptance, organizations can include it to their company values or policies, create special groups to facilitate them, develop career growth opportunities etc.

4.   4. Providing accommodations and accessibility:

Through providing technical supports such as screen readers, noise cancelling headphones, providing natural light, using different communication methods, incorporating ramps or elevators and wheelchair friendly bathrooms, organizations can improve the workplace accommodations. Facilitating with Braille printed materials, computer and other equipment for those who suffer visual difficulties and awareness programs on sign language for persons with hearing and communication difficulties in workplaces would be an important intervention to facilitate decent work requirements for persons with disabilities (Sachinthana, P.A.D.I & Samaraweera, G.R.S.RC, (2021).

5.   5. Providing training and development opportunities:

Organizations need to support those people to reach their potentials and specially support them after sickness absences. It is needed to provide learning to other employees specially management about the HR policies, health policies, disability and mental health awareness, communication skills etc.

 

As a conclusion, it is the obligation of HR professionals to provide a safe and fulfilling working environment for all employees, whether disable or not. However, supporting employees with special needs goes beyond inclusion and equal rights for all employees will improve job performance, boosts team morale, and creates a work environment where people with disabilities can thrive.

 

References:

1. Ang, M. C., Ramayah, T., & Amin, H. (2015), A theory of planned behavior perspective on hiring Malaysians with disabilities, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 34(3) pp 186-200 [Online] Available at https://www.researchgate.net/. Accessed on 07^th November, 2024.

2.   2. Census of Population and Housing (2012), [Online] Available at http://www.statistics.gov.lk. Accessed on 07^th November 2024.

3.   3. Mendis, P (2004) Training and Employment of People with Disabilities: Sri Lanka 2003 - An Ability Asia Country Study, International Labor Organization [Online]. Available at https://www.ilo.org/. Accessed on -7^th November 2024.

4.   4. Sachinthana, P.A.D.I. & Samaraweera G.R.S.R.C., (2021), EMPOWER THE ABILITY: WHAT DRIVES PERSONS WITH FUNCTIONAL DIFFICULTIES INTO WORK IN SRI LANKA? Journal of Insurance and Finance, 1(1), pp 81-100 [Online]. Available at https://fbsf.wyb.ac.lk/wp-content/uploads/2021/. Accessed on 07^th November 2024.