Sub regional Capacity Building Workshop of the United Nations People with disabilities

1. Finding abilities beyond
disabilities in transport
and logistics employment
Professor(Dr) Lalith Edirisinghe
CINEC Campus, Sri Lanka
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

2. 2
Credit: Shutterstock
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development clearly
states that disability cannot be a reason or criteria for
lack of access to development programming and the
realization of human rights.

3. Contents
Introduction
Advantages of hiring PWDs
The barriers in employing PWDs
Introducing the ASCO Matrix and Specific guidelines to Employers
Employing PWDs in Transport and logistics sector
The way forward
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4. The two main existences and four types of
human disability
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5. Significance
• 1.3 billion people worldwide experience
significant disability.
• 80% of persons with disabilities (PwDs) live in
developing countries.
• 472 million persons of working age in Asia are
with disabilities
• Almost two thirds of them are outside the labor
force
• A disability diminishes their contribution to the
society.
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities promotes the full
integration of persons with disabilities in
societies.
• Global awareness of disability-inclusive
development is increasing.
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D
I
S
A
B
L
E

6. Advantages of
employing PWDs
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PWDs make good, dependable employees.
As a group, they perform on par or better
than their non-disabled peers on measures
such as productivity, safety and attendance.
PWDs are more likely to stay on the job.
Therefore, cost of job turnover is minimized.

7. Advantages of
employing PWDs
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Hiring PWDs may increase overall
workforce morale when they become part
of the staff.
PWDs are an untapped resource of skills
and talents. Usually, they are differently
abled and may have specific skills that
businesses need.
Psychologically, they develop courage to
live without certain physical abilities that
lead to greater transferable problem-
solving skills in daily life.

8. Advantages
of
employing
PWDs
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Getting them on board reduces the burden on their families, society,
governments too.
Therefore, hiring PWDs is a win-win case for both the employee and
employer.
Ignoring this market may mean losing an indispensable market
intelligence the family and friends of PWDs.
Having employees who know first-hand about the product and service
needs of the PWD consumer segment is a real advantage.
PWDs represent an overlooked and multibillion-dollar market segment.

9. Barriers for employing PWDs
Lack of accurate data
Lack of formal education
Absence of systems of training
support and continuous
monitoring or being unaffordable
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https://www.preventionweb.net/blog/when-disasters-strike-people-disabilities-must-not-be-left-behind

10. Lack of proper education
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A person without a leg could be
equipped with an artificial leg to
attend his work at any time but a
person without basic education at
the childhood cannot be reversed
or supplied with education at a
later stage.
Excluding the disabled people from
education due to problem of
travelling etc. make them more
disabled than ever.
It is more serious than of having
been physically handicapped as it
keeps them away from all future
opportunities.

11. Duty and responsibility of the society
• Identify the best fit jobs for the PWDs and transform
them through education and training pathway at the
right time.
• If it is already late map their current strengths and
aspirations against opportunities and existing
constraints.
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12. The use of ASCO Matrix to identify
the best fit
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A S
O C
It is recommended to use a new matrix to assess
the “able” characteristics of a partly abled person

13. Specific guidelines to Employers
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• List out real
constants
she/he may face
•List out
•Opportunities
that are inline
with aspirations
• List out all the
inherent
strengths
despite the
disabilities
•Ask about the
aspirations of the
person without
considering
his/her
disabilities
Aspirations Strengths
Constraints
Opportunities
A S
O C

14. Recommendations
• The focus on country specific
Guideline/best practices may
help to increase PWD
workforce in the transport
sector
• The eight guiding principles
of the “UN Convention on
the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities” should be
followed
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15. Rights of Persons with
Disabilities
1. Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the
freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of
persons
2. Respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities
and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve
their identities.
3. Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities
as part of human diversity and humanity
4. Full and effective participation and inclusion in society
5. Equality of opportunity
6. Accessibility
7. Non-discrimination
8. Equality between men and women
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Source: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

16. Employing PWDs in
Transport and logistics
sector
• Freight transport sector has many
opportunities for PwDs
• Machines have taken care of many
activities that earlier demanded physical
involvement of people.
• “Work from home” (WfH) reduced the
need for travelling between the home
and office.
• Working at a call center gives plenty of
flexibility for disabled people
• Women with disabilities are recognized
to be multiply disadvantaged
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17. Way forward
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Empathy: Visualize oneself as one of them even if you are not a disabled
person
Visualize
See-through: See the person first, not the disability; listen to the person
behind the disability
See
Data: Increase the availability and accessibility of data on persons with
disabilities
Increase
Incentivize employers who engage persons with disabilities
Incentivize
Adjust working environment and re-create jobs suitable to PWDs
Adjust
Use of technology to get the advantage of disappearance of manual,
routine and repetitive work
Use
Bridge the skills gap through modernizing education and training
systems
Bridge
Build an equal opportunity framework through policy development
Build

18. Summary
1. Background of the People with disabilities (PWD)
2. Advantages of employing PWDs
3. Barriers for employing PWDs
4. Introducing the ASCO Matrix and Specific
guidelines to Employers
5. Employing PWDs in Transport and logistics
sector
6. The way forward
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19. 19
“A weakness of a person would
create a disadvantage to the
society only when the rest of the
potentials and strengths of
him/her remains unseen.
Even most of weaknesses could
be transformed to strengths
through proper awareness,
education, coaching, training,
and development”
- Lalith Edirisinghe -
UNESCAP

20. References
• CBB. (2023). SWOT and SOAR. Retrieved from www.cbb.com.au: https://www.cbb.com.au/news/2020/05/27/swot-and-
soar/
• Clear Law Institute. (2012, 6 7). What Is Unconscious Bias Training for Employees and Why It's Essential. Retrieved from
clearlawinstitute.com: https://clearlawinstitute.com/blog/2021/06/07/why-unconscious-bias-training-for-employees-is-
essential/
• IBRD. (2022). www.worldbank.org. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org
• ILO. (2019). Employment Distribution by Economic Activity (by sex). International Labour Organization (ILO).
• Perry, D. (2007). EmployAbility : a resource guide on disability for employers in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok: International
Labour Organization .
• U.S. Department of Labor. (2017). Occupations with the Smallest Share of Women Workers. Retrieved from Employment
and Earnings in Selected Occupations, Women’s Bureau: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/data/employment-earnings-
occupations#smallestshare
• UN. (2002). Disability and Employment. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/:
https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities/disability-and-
employment.html
• UNESCAP. (2017). UNESCAP. Retrieved from UNESCAP:
https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20Brief_National%20Requirements_Women%20in%20Logistics.pdf
• WHO. (2021). World Report on Disability. Retrieved from www.who.int/: https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-
diseases/sensory-functions-disability-and-rehabilitation/world-report-on-disability
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21. Thank you
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Professor (Dr) Lalith Edirisinghe, PhD
CINEC Campus, Sri Lanka
Mobile: +94777562 505
Email: lalith.edirisinghe@cinec.edu
Web: www.professorlalithedirisinghe.lk/