Not sympathy, but opportunity: Push grows for fairer hiring of visually impaired Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — It is not a lack of talent, but rather stigma and doubts about their capabilities that continue to hinder persons with visual impairments from entering the job market, including the creative arts industry.

With advances in technology and the availability of assistive facilities, they are capable of using computers and smartphones and carrying out various tasks independently, depending on their skills and the suitability of the job.

Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) chief executive officer Datuk George Thomas told Bernama that misconceptions among employers about the capabilities of persons with visual impairments remained prevalent, undermining their chances of securing jobs based on their qualifications and talents.

He said more than half of the 41 employers who attended the Advocacy and Awareness Programme on Employment for Persons with Visual Impairments on June 30 did not know that members of the group could independently use computers and smartphones.

The programme, organised by MAB in collaboration with the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso), aimed to raise employers’ awareness of the actual capabilities of persons with visual impairments.

“Some employers assume that if they hire a person with a visual impairment, they need to provide an assistant to help them, whereas MAB has taught persons with visual impairments to live independently. We do not want them to be given opportunities out of sympathy, but because they are qualified or genuinely talented,” he said.

Perkeso deputy chief executive (Operations) Azirruan Arifin said employers’ doubts about the capabilities of persons with visual impairments remained a challenge in efforts to place them in the job market, even when they possessed the relevant academic qualifications, skills and experience.

He said successful job placement also depended on the suitability of the position and the working environment, including physical accessibility, digital systems, screen-reading software and appropriate communication methods.

“Overall, the main challenge is ensuring a match between jobseekers’ competencies, job requirements, employers’ readiness and the workplace adjustments needed.

“Therefore, Perkeso’s approach is to build employers’ confidence through advocacy programmes that raise awareness and create opportunities for persons with visual impairments based on their capabilities and abilities,” he said.

To ensure more effective job matching, Azirruan said Perkeso conducted profiling to identify jobseekers’ academic qualifications, skills, experience, interests, functional abilities and support requirements before matching them with suitable positions.

Perkeso also recommended workplace adjustments, conducted post-placement monitoring and provided advisory services to employers to support job retention and career development among persons with visual impairments.

In the creative industry, opportunities for persons with visual impairments to develop their talents should be made available based on their abilities and skills, rather than restricted by their physical disabilities.

National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib said visual impairment should not be used as a reason to deny someone an opportunity before their talent had been fairly assessed.

He said opportunities could be expanded to include acting, writing, story development, directing and production, depending on individuals’ skills and the support they required.

Finas is also open to considering proposals to expand employment opportunities for persons with disabilities through the Creative Content Fund, including taking into account productions that employ persons with disabilities and the costs of providing suitable facilities.

Azmir Saifuddin said proposals to introduce quotas or additional points for productions involving talent and crew members with disabilities could also be considered through engagement sessions with the disability community, MAB, industry associations and relevant stakeholders.

“In my view, an effective mechanism must take into account the quality of participation. We need to assess whether an individual is given meaningful responsibilities, fair remuneration, the support needed to work and opportunities to build professional experience.

“Simply having their names on a cast or crew list does not reflect the level of inclusivity in a production,” he said.

He said Finas was also open to collaborating with MAB and training institutions to identify talent and provide training for persons with visual impairments according to their skills, interests and industry requirements, including scriptwriting, acting, voice-over work and audio production.

Azmir Saifuddin said Finas played a role in establishing networks and facilitating opportunities, while job placement required cooperation from employers, appropriate skills matching and continuous support to ensure that persons with disabilities secured employment, received fair remuneration and built careers in the industry.

He said Finas had also organised the Creative Workshop for Persons with Disabilities: Vocals and Basic Acting (Radio Drama) in February as part of its talent development initiatives.

“Our measure of success is when persons with disabilities are given opportunities to work, receive fair remuneration and build careers in the industry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Film Directors’ Association (FDAM) chairman Datuk Afdlin Shauki said writing and acting offered opportunities for persons with visual impairments to showcase their talents, while directing presented its own challenges because it relied heavily on visual elements.

He said they should be given the space to demonstrate their abilities through their own work, including producing short videos using smartphones to showcase their ideas and creativity.

“Things are different now. Just start with a phone and show what you want to do. If someone with a visual impairment believes they can do it, prove it by making a simple story using a phone. They can then show it to others so that people understand what they are trying to convey,” he said.

Afdlin said talent should remain the primary consideration when selecting actors and that persons with visual impairments should not be restricted to roles that portray their disabilities alone. — Bernama