Page 18 - AEI Insights 2020 - Vol. 6, Issue 1

AEI Insights, Vol 6, Issue 1, 2020

legislation and mechanism of ensuring equality and promote employment for all should be in
place. The opportunity for continued and active participation among older people in the labour
market with provisions of viable employment options will ensure that older people can live in
dignity, security and with full rights.

Workers with disabilities

On 7 November 2011, ASEAN leaders made a landmark declaration the ASEAN decade of
people with disability 2011-2012 in Bali, Indonesia. In this special decade for person with
disabilities, ASEAN countries promised to make serious efforts to promote rights and
opportunities for the persons with disabilities in all area of its society, including labour market
in ASEAN. This declaration is known as the Bali Declaration on the enhancement of the role
and participation of persons with disability. There are twenty-five specific clauses in the Bali
Declaration. For example, clause 11 of the Bali Declaration proclaims that ASEAN countries
shall develop a social service to support the persons with disabilities in the field of employment.
Clause 15 of the Bali Declaration emphasize on the need of providing accessibility for public
facilities, public transportation and employment for persons with disabilities (ASEAN, 2013).

At same time, ASEAN countries also adopted an action plan for the promotion of rights and
opportunities for the person with disabilities in Bali, Indonesia. This action plan is known as
the Mobilisation Framework of the ASEAN decade of persons with disabilities. The basic aim
for this framework is to promote disability inclusive development in ASEAN countries. There
are fifteen specific priority areas in this action plan. For instance, in the third priority area of
the Mobilisation Framework, ASEAN countries promised to promote employment and decent
work among persons with disabilities. In this priority area, there are five specific action plans
for the promotion of employment for the person with disabilities. Firstly, ASEAN countries
would promote employment for the person with disabilities in the public sector. Secondly,
ASEAN countries would encourage private companies for the employment for the person with
disabilities under the name of corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Thirdly, ASEAN
countries would create a social network among the persons with disabilities. Fourthly, ASEAN
countries would conduct skill development program for the person with disabilities. Finally,
ASEAN countries would make efforts to build capacities of disabilities (ASEAN, 2013).

Besides official ASEAN declaration, some ASEAN countries made serious efforts to promote
the employment for the persons with disabilities by enacting laws against discrimination or
introducing quota system. Some ASEAN countries have enacted specific law for the persons
with disabilities. For example, Philippines enacted a milestone law on the persons with
disabilities in 1972. This important law is known as the Act providing for the Rehabilitation,
Self-development and Self-reliance of Disabled Person. All kind of discrimination against the
person with disabilities are prohibited under this act (O’Reilly, 2003; ILO, 2015). Furthermore,
some ASEAN countries introduced a quota system to promote the employment for persons
with disabilities. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are seven
Asian countries that introduced a quota system for the promotion of employment among the
3
persons with disabilities, including two ASEAN countries, namely the Philippines and
Thailand (ILO, 2015). For example, Thailand introduced a quota system under the
Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act in 1991. Under the law, a 0.5 percent quota for
workers with disabilities was introduced and one disabled worker per 200 workers should be

3 Nine countries which introduced quota system for persons with disabilities are China, India, Japan, Mongolia,
the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

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