AN ESTIMATED 7 000 people with disabilities, or about half of that community, are being kept out of the workforce by fear and prejudice among employers.
But the disabled say their employment could redound to the benefit not only of their employers but the society and economy if they are taken off welfare and other benefits and allowed to make a contribution to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and possibly through their taxes.
That position was outlined yesterday by members of a panel discussing Employment Of Persons With Disabilities – Are We There Yet? which was part of the two-day 16th annual conference of the Human Resource Management Association of Barbados at the Radisson Aquatic Resort, Aquatic Gap, St Michael.
The panel was made up of President of the Senate, Senator Kerry Ann Ifill, who is also president of the Barbados Council for the Disabled; Roseanna Tudor, operations manager of the council; Eudalie Wickham-Ashby, president of BARNOD Inc.; and Sabrina Griffith, a deaf employee of the Super Centre chain. (AB)
