The recent report on the employment situation for persons with disabilities is cause for grave concern (Disability inclusive workplaces help employers tap under-utilised talents, Nov 21).

Of the 32,000 persons with disabilities of working age (15 to 64 years old), less than a third have jobs. Disconcertingly, 22,000 persons with disabilities are not actively seeking employment, on top of 1,000 more who are unemployed.

While those not seeking employment may have chosen to do so for personal and health reasons, it is also possible that they might have given up on finding employment after repeated failures to land and stay in a job. If this is the case, what could have contributed to this failure?

Could it be that the special education which they received was not long enough or good enough, or irrelevant to today's job market?

If so, job opportunities for these individuals will always be limited to very niche areas which do not require much qualification and correspondingly do not pay well. These openings may also be scarce, and vulnerable to replacement by cheaper labour and even automation.

Mr Tan Eng Tat, director of employment and employability at SG Enable, said that "employment is an important avenue for integration and gives people, including people with disabilities, a sense of identity, purpose and social connectedness".

This is a noble notion which many in society would agree with.

The journey towards employment is arduous and fraught with challenges for persons with disabilities. Yet, as with all worthwhile endeavours, it should start with a firm commitment and thorough preparation from all stakeholders.

Perhaps a first step in this journey could be to assess if current special education leading to certification such as the Workplace Literacy and Numeracy prepares people sufficiently for work.

Daniel Ng Peng Keat