Agency launches jobs portal for disabled people

A local agency has launched an online jobs platform targeting Kenyan employers in a bid to create employment opportunities for disabled people.

The Agency for Disability and Development in Africa (ADDA) launched the web portal — weworkinclusive.com — enumerating their qualifications yesterday, saying it will link employers with skilled job seekers.

“The website will ensure that both disabled people and employers have access to relevant information wherever they are,” said Peter Muasya, ADDA executive director during a one-day forum held in Nairobi Tuesday.

The forum noted that disabled people were qualified to handle various tasks in offices, factories, malls among other places, and called on the government the private sector to support formation of a national disabled persons’ database.

“Surveys conducted worldwide show companies that employ a considerable percentage of disabled people thrive more than companies without disabled employees. This is because disabled people suffer less disruption leading to higher productivity,” said International Labour Organisation Disability Inclusion Officer Jurgen Menze.

Mr Menze said such networks had been formed in India, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa which had helped form a national disabled persons’ database where employers could go when seeking talented people to employ.

ADDA is targeting more than 200 disabled youth for training and eventually link them to either wage or self-employment opportunities.

Currently, the government has less than one percent of employees being disabled while Safaricom employs 121 disabled persons.