People with disabilities deserve a chance in the workplace

A unique dining experience at Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok in the capital’s Pathumwan district has come about thanks to a collaboration between the British multinational hospitality company IHG Hotels & Resorts and the social enterprise, Steps.

Patrick Both, area general manager for the luxury & lifestyle segment at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said people with disabilities are just as welcome at the hotel as other employees because diversity in the workplace is very important.

“We look for strengths and weaknesses in all our staff and try to place them where they will perform at their best," he said.

Both, who is also general manager of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, added that hiring people with disabilities helps strengthen the hotel’s potential, thanks to the different opinions and viewpoints that can be shared.

Steps CEO and founder, Max Simpson, said even though the collaboration to create an inclusive society took a year of development, the effort has started to see returns.

However, they stressed that the people with disabilities still face barriers such as equal and appropriate access to education and general awareness. “We see 90% of people with disabilities exit education at the primary level,” Max pointed out.

“We really want to help raise awareness, so people can interact with people with disabilities and make a meaningful connection,” they said.

According to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities as of March this year, 311,259 of 857,117 people with disabilities between the ages of 15-59 years old in Thailand have jobs.

The statistics also show that 55,276 disabled do not have jobs, 51,575 are unable to work and 439,007 have not revealed their working status.