President Halimah urges employers to make it a practice to hire more people with disabilities

Mr Maximillian Tan, who has cerebral palsy, with his height-adjustable work desk and adjustable screen. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - While juggling a job or studies with Paralympic training may sound like a daunting task for most people, Mr Maximillian Tan has spent the last decade taking the challenge head on.

The 33-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, qualified for the Paralympic Games three consecutive times from 2012 to 2020 in the past 10 years that he has been training as a para equestrian.

When the Paralympics, usually held every four years, were postponed last year due to the pandemic, Mr Tan joined Cushman & Wakefield Services (C&W Services) as a human resource executive in September last year.

The company is the facilities and engineering arm of commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

There, Mr Tan said, he found an inclusive environment, with approachable colleagues and accessible work facilities like an automatic door or height-adjustable work desk that help him overcome physical limitations.

Mr Tan was one of four employees with disabilities who met President Halimah Yacob on her visit to the company's office at Chai Chee Road on Wednesday (April 28).

During her visit, the President interacted with employees and found out more about the modified office facilities.

She said it is also important for companies to ensure employees understand diverse and inclusive hiring policies, and people with disabilities can bring useful skills and talents to their workplaces.

"Often, the line manager makes a difference (in determining) whether people with disabilities can work, and having them as coaches providing support is important and also a strong message to co-workers," she said.

Adding that she would like to see C&W Services as a role model in the built environment sector, Madam Halimah said: "I do hope that employers can learn from each other within their own sector and see that this is really actually a value proposition."

The company, which currently employs six people with disabilities, aims to increase this number to 1 per cent of its 2,000-strong staff by next year.

C&W Services participated in SG Enable's Training & Career Fairs in 2019 and 2020, and also received a certificate of recognition at SG Enable's Enabling Employers Awards in 2019.

The company signed the President's Challenge Enabling Employment Pledge this month.

For Mr Tan, his people-centric work as a HR executive - contributing to hiring, operations and onboarding of new employees - has been a positive experience he enjoys.

President Halimah Yacob said it is also important for companies to ensure employees understand diverse and inclusive hiring policies. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

"I feel like my colleagues have been very approachable when I need any advice and helped me feel settled. We work well as a team," he said.

Noting that disability awareness programmes can help companies prepare for hiring persons with disabilities, he added: "I would advise others with disabilities who are afraid of taking on a job not to worry. There are resources for companies and those with disabilities to be integrated into the workforce."

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