A large number of these people carry bitter feelings of being marginalized or deprived of their legitimate rights. They feel many employers consider their physical disabilities as a big barrier to hiring them, even though they may be well qualified in terms of their academic and professional capabilities.
They say this mentality could potentially dash the hopes of many young men and women with special needs of playing an active role in society, finding a way to overcome their physical disabilities and translating their self-confidence into action. This has resulted in a huge rise in the number of jobless disabled in the Kingdom, according to a report in Al-Riyadh Arabic daily.
Saifudin Al-Faridi, a 25-year-old hearing-impaired Saudi man, told the paper that it is tough for him to get a job. “I have been searching for a job in both the public and private sectors for the last three years after completing my secondary education and a three-month computer course,” he said.
“All doors have been in front of me and nobody is ready to give me a job despite my intelligence and skills,” he said.
Echoing the same view, 23-year-old Saud Abdul Aziz Al-Hazzani said he has been searching for a job for more than two years. Saud, who is also hearing-impaired, has secured an internationally recognized qualification in computer science after leaving secondary school.
“I have come to realize from my contact with many employers that they do not want to hire me because of my disability. Hence, I found it very difficult to get a job and start a married life,” he said.
Twenty-nine-year-old Omar Al-Sohaibani, who is blind, said he searched for a suitable job for more than two years after securing a diploma in administration. “But I eventually had to accept the job of a telephone operator at a company for a monthly salary of SR3,000. Even though I work nine hours daily, I am not getting any other allowances, including health insurance,” he said.
Thirty-year-old Nasir Al-Mosan, who is also blind and holds a bachelor’s degree in Shariah, said: “I am fed up with looking for a job. There is limited scope of getting work for people like me. We have few opportunities only in the public education sector.” He urged the Ministry of Social Services to help disabled people find jobs in other sectors.
Nura Al-Otaibi, who is a paraplegic, said she has been searching for a job for more than 10 years after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies, but to no avail.
Ali Al-Hazzani, deputy director of the Society for the Hearing Impaired, said the number of hearing-impaired men and women is on the rise. “Most of them have various academic qualifications. But their qualifications continue to remain ornamental and they are not helping them get jobs. The apathy on the part of employers in hiring them has marginalized this section of society,” he said. “This eventually forces them to depend either on their families or charitable societies for sustenance.”
Areej Al-Moallam, head of the psychology department at the Prince Salman Center for Kidney Diseases, said it is essential for people with special needs to get jobs as it would help them to be independent. “Subsequently, they can develop a feeling of confidence that they are active members of society like others and are no longer a burden,” she said adding that this would reduce the risk of developing many psychological problems including depression.
Abdul Latief Al-Jaafari, director of the Society for Disabled Children in Al-Hassa, drew attention to the unscrupulous practices pursued by some private firms who hire workers with special needs. “Some employers use this as a ploy to meet their Saudization quotas. According to a royal decree, hiring a disabled Saudi job seeker is deemed equal to hiring four able-bodied Saudis. These employers hire them to take advantage of this concession,” he said.
“Even though disabled employees are enrolled in the payroll of such firms, they need not come to the office regularly. They can sit at home and instead receive meager salaries.” He added this practice would result in disabled people becoming unproductive, defeating the original objective of the decree.
Mazen Khayyat, member of the Social, Family and Youth Affairs Committee at the Shoura Council, noted that people with special needs were not getting their full employment rights either in public or private sectors. He attributed this mainly to the perception that they were weak and an unproductive section of society.
“Such a perception is down to the ignorance about their capabilities and potential,” he said, while urging employers to give them priority in the job market with due consideration to their disabilities.
Khayyat also suggested a number of measures to improve employment opportunities for them.
This included reductions in their working hours, enactment of a special law with regard to their sick leave, fixation of an early retirement age, making special arrangements for them at the workplace, identifying suitable jobs for them, and setting up a commission for disabled people, among others
Mofleh Al-Qahtani, president of the National Society for the Human Rights (NSHR), highlighted the emphasis the society was giving to defend the rights of people with special needs, especially where employment opportunities were concerned.
“The society is carrying out a campaign to make people with special needs aware of the services and opportunities available to them in various sectors. The NSHR also helps them know their rights in addition to encouraging mainstream society to embrace these people,” he said.
