Code of Good Practice on jobs for disabled

COLOMBO: A Code of Good Practice of the Employment of Disabled People is to be launched by the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) and its Employers Network on Disability today in Colombo.

The Code is intended to provide practical guidance on the management of disability issues in the workplace. It is hoped that the Code will be considered and adopted by employers and will result in greater employment for disabled persons.

The International Labour Office (ILO) is co-sponsoring the event with the Network.

The EFC has invited corporate business leaders, senior ILO officials and Secretaries of relevant ministries to the event. Javed Abidi, Executive Director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, New Delhi, India, will be the keynote speaker.

The Code of Practice is an important step forward in assisting Sri Lanka employers move forward in diversifying their workforces and building a more inclusive society, says EFC Executive Director, Gotabaya Dasanayaka.

It is the most recent in a series of activities that the EFC began in 2000, when a group of its member companies came together to form the Network.

These founding members not only recognised the importance of involving people with disabilities in the mainstream of economic life, but also of tapping the vast pool of talent among the disabled population for the mutual benefit of the private sector and of people with disabilities.

Since 2000, the EFC, in collaboration with the ILO and other partners, has been directly involved in promoting employment opportunities for disabled persons.

It has conducted numerous programmes ranging from training disabled persons in employment related skills to facilitating their placement in employment through job fairs.

The EFC's Employers Network on Disability is a great benefit to Sri Lanka and a model of corporate initiative in the region and the world, says the ILO's Country Director, Ms. Tine Staermose.

The Employers Network has been featured in international videos and publications and presented at international conferences related to corporate social responsibility, disability and employment.

In December, 2005, one of the Network members was invited to speak at a World Bank event in Washington, D.C. marking the International Day of Disabled Persons.