Kartunet - The obligation to employ people with disabilities—with a quota of 1% for private companies and 2% for government agencies or state-owned and regional government-owned enterprises—has been explicitly mandated by the state. Many companies are now starting to open their doors to inclusive recruitment. However, the journey to building a disability-friendly workplace does not stop at merely signing employment contracts.
One of the biggest challenges when a visually impaired person joins a company is social awkwardness. Often, sighted employees feel confused, hesitant, or overly cautious when interacting with their new colleagues. To bridge this gap, companies must organize a special orientation program known as a Disability Sensitizing Session (Disability Awareness Session).
What Is a Disability Sensitizing Session?
If your company is receiving visually impaired employees for the first time, a Disability Sensitizing Session is a crucial activity to be held for all sighted employees. This activity is not just a theoretical seminar, but rather a space for direct interaction and hands-on simulation to foster a correct understanding of disability.
This session is designed to align with an inclusive work culture by achieving several key objectives:
- Breaking Down Awkwardness (Official Ice Breaking): This session serves as an official bridge to break the awkward atmosphere between sighted and visually impaired employees, allowing them to interact more casually and naturally in the future.
- Building Empathy: Helping sighted employees directly experience and understand the challenges and working methods of visually impaired individuals, not based on assumptions or pity.
- Fostering a Spirit of Mutual Support: This session instills the awareness that visually impaired individuals in the workplace are not just there to be helped; they are also reliable professional talents capable of assisting other colleagues.
Practical Simulations: From Blindfold to Sighted Guide
To be effective, a Disability Sensitizing Session is highly recommended to include interactive simulation activities. Some common simulations include:
1. Becoming a Proper Sighted Guide
Many sighted people misunderstand how to properly guide a visually impaired person, for example, by pulling their cane, pushing their shoulder, or awkwardly holding their hand. In this session, employees are taught the correct technique: allowing the visually impaired person to hold the area above the guide's elbow, so they can safely follow the guide's movements.
2. Blindfold Simulation
To foster genuine empathy, sighted employees are asked to work in pairs. One person has their eyes covered with a cloth (blindfold) to act as a visually impaired person, while their partner becomes the guide. The blindfolded employee is then asked to perform daily activities, such as walking down a hallway, climbing stairs while being guided, and even simulating eating and drinking.
3. Demonstration of Computer Technology Use
Many sighted employees are curious about how visually impaired individuals can complete administrative tasks. This session can be used to demonstrate how visually impaired people quickly operate computers with the help of a screen reader (screen reading application). This is very effective in breaking down doubts about the work productivity of people with disabilities.
Small Steps, Big Impact
Organizing a Disability Sensitizing Session is tangible proof of commitment from management and the HR team in nurturing diversity in the workplace. If a company feels it lacks the expertise to facilitate this session, it can collaborate with competent disability organizations or institutions, such as BEAT Indonesia, to design and guide the session.
In conclusion, workplace inclusion will not be realized merely by meeting recruitment quotas. True inclusion occurs when the entire company ecosystem has a correct understanding, mutual empathy, and is ready to collaborate without viewing physical limitations as a barrier. (DPM)
References:
- Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Blind Association (DPP Pertuni). Guide to Recruitment & Placement of Visually Impaired Workers.