wfn.org | TCN: Eden foundation and new legislation help disabled people get jobs

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

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>Taiwan Church News

>2994 Edition

>July 13~19, 2009

Eden foundation and new legislation help disabled people get jobs

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong, Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

Eden Social Welfare Foundation recently opened a small massage  parlor on the

7th floor of Kaohsiung Dream Mall to help visually disabled people  use their skills

to make a living. Those who work at the parlor have been trained  to become

>professional masseurs and masseuses.

According to Eden Foundation’s southern branch section leader  Li Hong-ping,

though visually disabled people face limitations because they  cannot see,

acquiring working skills boosts their self-esteem, enables them to  take care of

themselves and their families, helps them realize life-long goals,  and learn self-

acceptance. Therefore, Li urges all Christians to support efforts  by visually-

>impaired people.

Eden Foundation established 12 massage parlors across Taiwan to  help and

support visually impaired people. The small parlor in Dream Mall  is one of the 3

>shops opened in Kaohsiung area.

According to Li, though Article 37 of the Protection Act for  Rights and Interests of

Physically and Mentally Disabled Citizens states that only  visually impaired

people can be masseurs or masseuses, this article is  unconstitutional and will be

changed so that anyone can open massage parlors in Taiwan three  years from

now. However, many people have already gone ahead and opened shops  even

>before the law has been put into effect.

Li’s dilemma is that if people are caught breaking this  unfair law, the fines they

must pay could be used toward charity, but once this unfair law is  stricken down,

the rights and benefits of visually impaired people and their job  opportunities will

be compromised. Though he dreads the day when the government will  allow

everyone to become masseurs or masseuses, he is aware that  visually impaired

people cannot take on the government on this issue and only hopes  officials will

put other measures in place to protect visually disabled people.

Li graduated from Central Taiwan Theological Seminary before  becoming a

pastor. He can be seen giving massages to people on weekdays and  preaching

>and serving at various churches on Sundays.

Li cited 1 John 3:18 where Christians are told to love in words  and deeds and

urged Christians to become volunteers in ministries for visually  disabled people.

He said churches can get involved by inviting Eden staff members  to their

churches to offer massage sessions or give health seminars.  Business

organizations can support visually impaired people by offering  venues to hold

seasonal massage booths. “When workers have good health,  their productivity

also increases,” he said. Interested organizations are urged  to call (02) 2577-

>5689 ext.19 for more information

In related news, new regulations added to Protection Act for  Rights and Interests

of Physically and Mentally Disabled Citizens will soon be enforced  across

Taiwan and among the new regulations includes a requirement to  hire at least

one person with physical disabilities in every private school and  private

corporation with more than 67 employees. Public agencies with more  than 34

employees must also hire at least one physically disabled person.

According to Council of Labor Affairs, these measures will  generate 4,400 new

jobs for people with physical disabilities and 3,900 private  corporations will

begin hiring people with disabilities on a regular basis for the  first time. Because

of these trends, Eden Foundation will set up a new hotline to help  companies find

suitable employees and help disabled people find suitable jobs so  that both

>sides can find what they need.

During a press conference, Eden Foundation leaders urged placement  agencies

to support and help businesses who are hiring people with  disabilities for the first

time because these organizations need help redesigning job  descriptions. One

recent survey conducted by Eden Foundation revealed 77% of  businesses felt

people with disabilities displayed good work ethics. However, 65%  of

businesses said they didn’t hire disabled people because they  didn’t have

suitable job openings and 42% didn’t hire disabled people  because their office

buildings were not accessible to disabled people.

According to consultants hired by Eden Foundation, businesses must  re-design

job positions, job descriptions, and job performance and  productivity criteria

when they hire people with disabilities. In addition, personnel  salaries for these

people would be better handled if they were decided by company  leaders as a

whole, instead of by departments as this will take away pressure  from individual

departments to hire people with disabilities and promote a  friendlier working

environment as employers get a good understanding of each  candidate looking

>for a job.

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