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Wednesday, May 17, 2006
PWDs urged: Take advantage of outsourcing
The information technology (IT) boom in the country brought about by outsourcing has empowered persons with disabilities (PWDs).
At least 75 webmasters from all over the country met yesterday for the “Webmasters’ Interface,” a three-day workshop to make the World Wide Web more accessible to PWDs.
“Through the Internet, a phenomenon called outsourcing was born. This allowed users who have access to the World Wide Web, who come from all walks of life and who know a thing or two about computers and practical encoding, to compete and participate in globalization,” said Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral.
National Council for the Welfare of the Disabled Persons (NCWDP) Executive Director Catalina Fermin delivered Secretary Cabral’s message during the opening ceremony.
“All users, including those who have disabilities, now have the opportunity to work online through adaptive technology,” Cabral also said in her message.
A recent workshop on accessible Information Communication Technology (ICT) revealed that there is a growing demand for medical transcriptionists in the country and it is one job that PWDs can compete for.
Medical transcriptionists prepare medical reports and correspondence from material dictated by doctors and other health care professionals. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that medical transcriptionists earned from US$9 to $19 an hour in 2004, and that the demand for skilled workers is expected to grow faster than average until 2014.
PWD-friendly
It also identified the Philippines, along with India and Pakistan, as among the top destinations for outsourced medical transcription services.
Last year, the Nova Foundation, an organization that trains PWDs for information and communication technology jobs, estimated the medical transcription business in the United States to be worth $24 billion.
Of this, $4 billion is set for outsourcing. About three percent is said to be allocated for the Philippines.
The Webmasters’ Interface, organized by NCWDP and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, aims to maximize ICT as a source of jobs for PWDs, by creating websites that are PWD-friendly.
It also aims for a long-term solution, which is the legislation of policies and measures to bolster livelihood and other opportunities in the country and abroad.
“Through this effort, more disabled persons are empowered to work for themselves, without fear of employment discrimination due to their physical shortcomings,” said Fermin.
The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons requires government offices and agencies to allocate five percent of their workforce for PWDs.
However, a 2005 survey of the Department of Labor and Employment revealed that 13 government offices and agencies in Central Visayas still did not have PWDs in their workforce.
Fermin said PWDs constitute seven to 10 percent of the Philippine population. (JGA)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 17, 2006 issue)
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