Socially responsible members of the
community gather for a commemorative photo after meeting at Diana Garden
Resort for an international symposium on sustainable employment of
people with disabilities.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
More cooperation from government and investment from
private companies are needed if Thailand’s disabled population is truly
to become part of mainstream society, a symposium looking at lasting
employment options for the handicapped was told.
Rev. Pattarapong Srivorakul, chairman of the Father
Ray Foundation for the Disabled, told people attending the Dec. 16
“Social Enterprises for Sustainable Employment for Persons with
Disabilities” seminar at Pattaya’s Diana Garden Resort that too much of
the responsibility for caring for Thailand’s disabled still rests with
charity organizations.
“We still have problems of inadequate service given
by the government,” Pattarapong said. Elsewhere, he said, government and
businesses are working together to create social enterprises in which
portions of corporate profits go into government programs devoted to
local energy production, micro-credit for the poor, sustainable
agriculture and marketing of locally made products.
“This is happening seriously in Europe, particularly
in England, where there are up to 55,000 markets and growing,”
Pattarapong said. “In Hong Kong, people are being trained for jobs in
bakeries, restaurants, convenience stores and post offices. The
performance of these new business enterprises is good and growing.”
Labor Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Sunan
Bhothong told the conference that the government is concerned that only
320,000 of the 1,005,711 people classified as having some sort of
disability have jobs. Such high unemployment is not only an economic
drain, but a drag on the country’s social structure and the root of
domestic problems, he said.
Ideally, Sunan said, the disabled could be given
enough help so they can help themselves. With more occupational training
and jobs, they’d become a bigger part of society.
“We have to change the thinking of the general public
to accept and learn that disabled people are valuable human resources to
society,” he said. “Social investment is becoming more interesting to
businesses in the eyes of businesses who realize society is developed
only through sustainable investment.”
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome agreed with the speakers and
maintained that the city does its most to help the disabled.
“We work closely with the Father Ray Foundation to
develop the lives of the disabled, as they are a key part of our
society,” Itthiphol said. “This seminar has been very useful and will
have gathered ideas to create more effective policies later on.”
