| dc.description.abstract | Employing universal design through inclusive workplace design can help reduce or eliminate barriers associated with the working environment which has been one of the causes of unemployment among persons with disabilities. For this reason, this research is looking into inclusive workplace which is in relation to the problem of unemployment of people with disability in Mozambique. It does not focus on one disability group rather it focusses on various types of disabilities and the general accessibility of the working environment so that every individual can fit into the working environment irrespective of gender, age, religious affiliation and most especially degree of disability. The literature is divided into four sections and it examined the impact of the general accessibility in the work environment to accommodate people with disability, it also reviews inclusive employment in the job market, inclusive education and ICT accessibility in employment. Examination of literature identified that people with disability have difficulties in the above spectrum of the research in terms of accessibility. There are a lot that people with disability can offer but due to environmental barriers they are unable to do them. Laws and policies seem to address the barriers and needs of the disabled, but it does not reflect in the physical environment of Mozambique. Inclusive workplace takes the needs of an employee with disability into consideration in everything to ensure that the environment is accessible, tools and machines are also usable. Recruiting persons with disabilities will not only offer them independence but it also means they are enjoying one of the fundamental human rights.
The results of this work also reveal that persons with disabilities in Mozambique do not have equal access to education to prepare them for better opportunities in the employment sector. They lack facilities, trained teachers, materials and technologies to acquire the needed skills to fit into modern way of doing a job.
This research investigated accessibility of ICT and the result shows that ICT is not fully accessible to persons with disabilities in Mozambique. The channel through which information is dispersed to the public are mostly not assessable to persons with disabilities. For example, most public websites are not assessable to persons with disabilities also information broadcast through televisions radios and public notices are also sometimes not assessable to persons with disability. The cost of digital devices like computers, phones also software and assistive devices which are designed to help persons with disabilities to improve their efficiency has deter them from getting access to them.
The purpose of accessibility in ICT, education and employment cannot be realized if it is not back by law and policy enforcement, good governance, skill development and reasonable accommodation in the business environment to create equal opportunity for diversity. The need to implement policies that fight discrimination and support independent living on the part of people living with disability should be a priority of every nation and not as a secondary matter.
Investing in persons with disabilities in Mozambique in the field of ICT through apprentice training and formal education can contribute positively in the fight against unemployment on the of the disabled in the country. Engaging them through this means will motivate those are on the street to avail themselves for skill-oriented programs and education to better their lives.
The research work also identified that, there is no disability law s in Mozambique presently and policies which seek to address issues of the disabled have not been implemented. Lack of implementation of such policies has contributed the widen of the gap between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities. | en |
