Job Coach – Page 2 – Peter Tan – The Digital Awakening

The Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM), through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), invited me to conduct a Disability Equality Training (DET) session titled “What is Disability?” in Kuching, Sarawak. This was in conjunction with the Sarawak State Level 2012 Seminar on Supported Employment for Disabled People.

Knowing that I would need to be accompanied on overnight trips, JICA arranged to cover the return flight tickets and hotel accommodation for Wuan and I. It was a busy period at work for Wuan and she could not take leave to go with me.

Coincidentally, I met Victor Chin during the Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival 2012 at the time when I was looking for someone to accompany me. Victor, a renowned artist and photographer, is a good friend who had roped us in to hold a joint photography exhibition with him in 2009. I asked and he agreed to accompany me to Sarawak for the seminar.

Still, I was hesitant because that would be the first time I would be travelling with an expensive rigid wheelchair. I was afraid the wheelchair could be damaged by mishandling of the cargo handlers. I checked around but could not get insurance specifically to cover damage or loss of the wheelchair for the duration of the trip.

Having already committed to the seminar, I steeled my nerves and prayed nothing untoward would happen to the wheelchair; else I would be stranded in a land far away from home. Then, there was the uncertainty of whether I needed a passport.

There was virtually no information on the documents required of Malaysians from the peninsular entering Sarawak in official government websites. Friends in the know informed me that all that was needed is my identity card. I should have asked JKM or JICA regarding this in the first place.

I have not been to Kuching before but I have a few friends who are from there. We got acquainted online through our blogs. We agreed to meet but since I had no idea of my schedule yet, we could not arrange for a specific time to meet up. Nevertheless, I was excited at being able to finally meet them face to face after so many years of communication through our blogs and then Facebook.

SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah, JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely

SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah giving a speech at the opening of the Disability Equality Training workshop. Seated L-R: JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno and Manager of SOCSO Return To Work Section Roshaimi Mat Rosely.
Photo by Wuan.

The Department of Return to Work of the Social Security Organisation Malaysia (SOCSO) organised a Disability Equality Training (DET) workshop for employers in the private sectors and staff of SOCSO last Thursday. Private sector participants were from Malaysia Airlines, British American Tobacco, Sunway Hotel, KFC, Pizza Hut, Ayamas, Sports Toto and Cathay Cineplexes, among others. The theme of the workshop was “Towards Inclusion and Diversity”. It was conducted at Menara PERKESO in Jalan Ampang and officiated by SOCSO Chief Executive Officer K. Selvarajah.

JICA Senior Advisor Dr. Kenji Kuno facilitating the Disability Equality Training at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

During the half-day DET workshop, Dr. Kenji Kuno guided participants through the various aspects of understanding disability as a social issue and how problems arising from attitudinal and environmental barriers can be resolved by applying the Open Box Solution method. These exercises are in view of making workplaces accessible and inclusive. I acted as the co-facilitator again this time.

SOCSO Claims Manager Edmund Cheong explaining the Return To Work Program.
Photo by Wuan.

At the afternoon session, SOCSO Claims Manager Edmond Cheong provided a very detailed presentation on the benefits of the Return To Work Program. This program provides support for workers disabled in the course of employment going back to work after treatment and rehabilitation.

Dr. Kenji Kuno giving presentation on Job Coach at SOCSO.
Photo by Wuan.

That was followed by Dr. Kuno’s talk on Job Coach. This is an initiative by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia (JKM) to enable and empower disabled people through gainful employment. Among the many services of Job Coaching are job matching for employers and disabled people, and training and support during employment. Currently, JKM is absorbing the cost of Job Coaching service for employers seeking to hire disabled people.

Group photo with participants at SOCSO Disability Equality Training Workshop – Return To Work Program – Job Coach Seminar.
Photo by Wuan.

Group photo with staff of SOCSO.
Seated L-R: Peter Tan, Roshaimi Mat Rosely, Dr. Kenji Kuno, Gayathri Vadivel and Edmund Cheong.
Photo by Wuan.

Tag: Job Coach

Journey To Kuching – The Preparation