DPSA: Disabled People Organisation

EMPLOYEES WITH disability

FOR RIGHTS TOO

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has an obligation to promote and sustain high productivity through continuous empowerment of its employees.

This it does by ensuring holistic management of employees’ health and wellness needs that includes the needs of people with disabilities. The department does not only consider the needs of the employees, but also has an obligation to its external stakeholders as well.

No disability is the same but those that are affected often require assistive devices, services or special care to assist them gain accesses to services offered. These are the people who have a long-term or recurring physical or mental impairment which substantially limits their prospects of entry into, or advancement in employment.

The Special Programmes Unit (SPU) within the department has a role to facilitate and monitor provision of reasonable office space, so that people with disabilities have the opportunity to work with less or no stress.

Reasonable accommodation refers to necessary and appropriate changes and adjustments in the work environment that allows a person with a disability to do the job and enjoy equal employment opportunities. In trying to address some of the issues of disability, the Department conducted sign language workshops in order to familiarise employees with the culture of deaf communities and enhance the potential to communicate with persons from deaf communities, the SPU plans to conduct more of these workshop.

Going forward the department will convene a workshop on the White Paper on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities in an effort to raise awareness about mainstreaming disability in the department. This workshop will place emphases accessibility, reasonable accommodation and the provision of assistive device to employees living with disabilities.