Road to IDF 2019, DEVI Speed Date:  Collaborating, Creating Inclusive Work for Persons with Disabilities

DEVI Speed Date: Promoting Inclusive Employment Opportunities

"We just started a work preparation program for young people with special needs, maybe we can collaborate with Pertuni," said Buhai Simanjuntak, Program Manager from Save the Children.

The Deputy of the Blind Association of Pertuni paid close attention to the explanation, before finally submitting the organization's work plan this year. Plans for further talks were conveyed. Save the Children then shifted to another table, meeting with representatives of other organizations. Meanwhile, Pertuni continued talking with SMERU Research Institute.

That afternoon, June 25, 2019, around 30 representatives from various organizations, including Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs), private companies, HRD consultants, and others met at the DEVI Speed Date: Promoting Inclusive Employment Opportunities. Two or three representatives of the organization present exchanged chats around a small table, building acquaintance, exchanging business cards, sharing about programs, about what they already had, and what they still needed to open up collaboration opportunities. Then they went to different people to chat, until all participants had talked to one another.

This event was called ‘Speed Dating' to promote provision of jobs for persons with disabilities, and this was held under the collaboration between Saraswati Development Innovation and Indonesia Development Forum (IDF).

"We held this event because we saw that our friends from the DPO, development and the private sector are still struggling on their own in their effort to promote inclusiveness in the field of employment for those with disabilities. “With this activity, we hope that we can explore each other. Is there anything we can collaborate in the future?” asked Tiara Permadi, the Project Manager of Saraswati.

"Maybe we will collaborate with Coding for Social or Save the Children. Incidentally we want to hold a year-end discussion program, with the theme: Industry 4.0," said Sufti Nurmadiyanti from Friends Without Borders after the 'dating' event took place. Collaboration will be in the form of, among others, digital training. According to Sufti, she will also be assisted by Saraswati to develop markets and product platforms for people with disabilities in Friends Without Borders who’s based in Bandung, West Java.

Other organizations present included the Daya Lima HRD Consultant Company, PT Disability Kerja Indonesia, Jakarta Pulse Lab, MAMPU, Workability, Bank Mandiri, and others. This "matchmaking event" between people with disabilities and companies gives the opportunity for every persons with disabilities to do short pitching to companies that recruit workers with disabilities and other organizations that encourage inclusive employment growth.

Director of Sigab Indonesia, Suharto said the event has a significant role in opening opportunities for people with disabilities to get work. "Persons with disabilities often do not know which companies can accept them, while companies also do not know how to accept persons with disabilities, what adjustments must be made regarding facilities and policies," she continued.

Suharto gave an example that companies can find out what is needed for employing people with low vision, as well as wheelchair users. "For example, how they should prepare the toilet and other facilities," she said.

Increasing Number of Available Job Opportunities

Before the ‘Speed Date', the event opened with a discussion that presented Workability, Bank Mandiri, DPO Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM), Bank Mandiri, and workers with disabilities.

Kerjabilitas is a platform that helps persons with disabilities find decent work. In his presentation, the Chief Technology Officer of Kerjabilitas, Teti Sianipar said they did not just match applicants with disabilities with jobs on their platform. More than that, Kerjabilitas also provided training to increase the capacity of workers, online and offline. "This program departs from our research, from the difficulties Persons with disabilitiess have to prepare a CV that will make them eligible for a job," said Teti.

Kerjabilitas helps persons with disabilities write CVs and to prepare themselves for interviews. Kerjabilitas have collected CVs from 9,000 applicants and built partnership with about 2,000 companies. Until now, 350 disability workers have been employed.

“We admit, it is still far from the target. We still have the remaining 8,650 applicants who need help to find a job.” Our hope is, if only 20 percent can be helped, it's already good, "said Teti.

One of the companies that welcomes disabled workers is Bank Mandiri Yogyakarta. In addition, to enforce Law No. 8 of 2016 concerning Persons with Disabilities which governs that State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) must employ Persons with disabilities at least 2 percent of the total employees. This is very much in line with the spirit of the Bank.

“All Bank Mandiri’s employees can contribute to their environment, which I help realize by offering opportunities to friends with disabilities," said Asih Samihadi from Bank Mandiri Yogyakarta, who now employs 23 workers with disabilities.

As a DPO, CBM wished to set an example to other organizations, by recruiting people with disabilities. "They were recruited as part of CBM and invited to be actively involved in our activities," said CBM Project Officer, Jaka Ahmad. This way, according to him, persons with disabilities will be motivated to use their capacity optimally.

Arya Yoga is a Persons with disabilities who was recruited by the Ministry of Transportation a year ago. Since the accident in 1997, Arya did not think he could work in an agency. “I just thought to start a small business because I didn't think it was possible to work in a wheelchair," Yoga said.

For several years Arya tried to sell things. From blankets, to fried chicken. Until last year the Ministry of Transportation opened up opportunities for persons with disabilities. "Thank God, we started to have more opportunities," said Arya.

After the DEVI Speed Date, the organisations started to collaborate more to promote more employment access to persons with disabilities. They collaborated to hold events, create or conduct joint programs, trainings, advocacy, technical assistance to develop websites, and others.