Unused gov't quarters to be turned into workshops for disabled - Yeoh

All state governments, local authorities and government agencies have been urged to identify unused government quarters and community halls to be turned into workshops to enable persons with disabilities (PWDs) to be trained to improve their work and living skills.

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh said the move could also reduce the burden of the workshop operators as they had to rent the space to conduct training.

“The move is to enable more persons with disabilities to be trained at these identified locations,” she told a press conference after officiating the PWDs Excellent Career Award programme at the Perlindungan Semangat Maju Taiping workshop in Aulong yesterday.

The disabled also needed a comfortable life by having certain work and social skills, she said.

She also added that based on the positive feedback from employers such as Aeon and Mydin, the disabled workers were found to be more focused on their jobs and staying longer in an organisation.

A total of 263 persons with disabilities were involved in the Job Coach programme run by the Persons with Disability Development Department until October this year.

“Of those, 68 per cent or 178 people have learning disabilities. A total of 165 companies from around the country have also been involved, ” she said.

The ministry would also set up five more Independent Learning Centres (ILCs) nationwide to assist the disabled to be independent and this year alone two ILCs were set up with an allocation of RM900,000, she said.

Meanwhile, when commenting on the predicament faced by the Perlindungan Semangat Maju Taiping workshop following the discontinuation of its grant, Yeoh said she would write a letter to her ministry regarding the matter.

- Bernama