The labor insertion of people with disabilities is being promoted by the Municipality of Chillán and the Labor Intermediation Office (OMIL) with the objective that people can deploy their talents and generate income for themselves and their families.
Mayor Camilo Benavente Jiménez said that although there have been concrete and obvious advances in recent years, the situation is far from optimal since a part of the population cannot enter the world of work.
Currently, he highlights, “the participation of people with disabilities in the world of work has increased, due to current legal regulations, however, there is still work to be done and to raise awareness among smaller companies or ventures in hiring.”
The OMIL occupational therapist, Patricia Bustos, details that “currently those who have the greatest compliance with the labor inclusion law are private companies, rather than the public system.”
The professional indicated that “we are the region with the largest number of people with disabilities nationwide, with 22.94% according to the study of the social observatory of the Ministry of Social Development, a large part of them are 60 or older (50.9% ), followed by people who are in the age range of 45 to 59 (29.49%) and then people who are between 30 and 44 years of age (11.54%). And only 21.95% are occupied.”
Facing the workplace, adds the occupational therapist, is a complex situation for all people, but even more so for people with disabilities who must face various barriers to be able to access and participate equally in a job; from existing myths, prejudices and discrimination, accessibility barriers regarding infrastructure and communication, ignorance on the part of people with disabilities themselves and on the part of employers.
Added to the above, according to OMIL records, is the low educational level of people with disabilities. In Ñuble, 28.23% of people with disabilities have incomplete basic education, while those with complete secondary education reach 22.70%.
However, “there is also 5.58% of people with disabilities who have higher education, but unfortunately their ability to hold positions in their area is often underestimated,” said Patricia Bustos.
The OMIL, in order to help the hiring of people with disabilities, has professionals who support labor inclusion processes, both for users who are in the process of searching for a job, and with companies who want to hire people with disabilities.
In addition, various trainings financed by SENCE are developed for people with disabilities, which allow them to develop knowledge and skills in specific areas and have more tools when facing the world of work.
Patricia Bustos adds that “I believe that there is progress regarding the issue, but we are still exposed to barriers that limit participation and access to work for people with disabilities, there are still myths and prejudices to be demolished, even within the same families of people with disabilities, is a social and cultural change, which we know takes time to change, but there are advances that allow and facilitate the generation of changes in the future and thus achieve a more inclusive society.
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