Best employers that hired persons with disabilities awarded at RemarkAbility Gala

The employers that distinguished themselves in the course of 2018 by the best practices in the field of employment of persons with disabilities were awarded at the fourth RemarkAbility Gala that was held on December 7. The companies were awarded in five categories, being earlier chosen by an expert commission that consisted of representatives of institutions that promote the rights of persons with disabilities, IPN reports.

The largest number of persons with disabilities in 2018 were employed by Handitehnica SRL, which makes clothing for the police force. More than half of the slightly over 50 employees of the factory are persons with disabilities. The company’s director Olga Dodon said she appreciates the benevolence and wish to do something in her employees with disabilities and is proud of and satisfied with their work.

SRL Mozaic Creștin was named remarkable employer for hiring persons with disabilities by supported employment. The company has six employees and two of them are persons with disabilities. The employees make colored glass, mosaic icons for churches. The company’s production coordinator Nadejda Vioară said the persons with disabilities do not complain, work and love. They make you be stronger and go on and be satisfied with what you have.

Dorin Stăvița, who is disabled, was named the remarkable entrepreneur who started a business and created jobs for other persons with disabilities. Together with his wife, who is also disabled, Dorin Stăvița runs a printing, lamination and Xerox services company. The man said he started the business because he wanted to have a job and the fact that he does not depend on anyone is the most important one as he is much more independent.

IPN News Agency and the Psycho-socio-pedagogical Center of the Chisinau General Division of Education, Youth and Sport were named the remarkable employers that took measures to reasonably adjust the workplace for persons with disabilities.

IPN Agency director Valeriu Vasilică said the employment of persons with particular visual impairments wasn’t a challenge, but rather an advantage for the Agency as this acquired two good colleagues. There is nothing remarkable in such employment as this is a normal personnel selection and development practice that is needed for the business to prosper. If some of the persons were deprived of something, they were offered something instead and the obligation of the others is to see the ability in these.

Svetlana Gorea, head of the Psycho-socio-pedagogical Center, said the employees of the institution started to look at life in a different way and love it more when persons with special needs were employed there. The Center is now daily attended by about 30 children in difficulty and from risk groups. The parents who see Stanislav, the employed young man with disabilities, remain with the conviction that their children have a future.

Attending the event, Viorica Dumbrăveanu, secretary of state on social assistance at the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, said the trophy most often is deserved by employees as by working they take an important step forward in their career and in their social inclusion. The current politicizes to simulate employers to create jobs for persons with disabilities do not work very well and it was thus decided to subsidize, as of 2019, the employers that will hire such persons and will adjust the workplace for them.

Vitalie Meșter, executive director of the Center of Legal Assistance for Persons with Disabilities, noted the right to work is a fundamental right and it is not less important than the rest of the human rights. It is a right that contributes to the formation of the person as a citizen and an active member of society and as a taxpayer. There are yet many persons with disabilities who encounter with difficulties in finding a job as their right to professional formation is not fully ensured.

Olesea Perean, National Human Rights Officer at the OHCHR, stated only a real leader can see the person’s potential and contribute to the realization of this potential. Each person should show a spirit of fraternity towards each other. The employers who see potential and make effort to integrate the persons with disabilities are actually agents of change in the life of these persons.

The RemarkAbility Gala 2018 was organized by the Center of Legal Assistance for Persons with Disabilities, under the aegis of the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family, in partnership with the Association “MOTIVAȚIE” of Moldova, the Alliance of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities, the National Employment Agency, the Youth Media Center and Rabota.md, with financial support from the Representative Office of the Swedish Development Partner and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.