If truth be told, South Africa’s Post-1994 efforts to bring Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDIs) with disabilities into the formal economy are still only work in progress. There is too much ground to be covered yet before the proverbial “Promised Land” of equal employment is reached.
Hearteningly, the endeavour of Beyond Ability Talent Solutions, which is based in Sandton, Johannesburg, gives hope that we might not be way far off as initially thought. The organisation recruits and places Persons with Disabilities into formal employment, sensitises employers on disability subjects and ensures that Persons with Disabilities work in safe environments by conducting building accessibility audits and recommending modifications to employers. 34 year old Ntsoaki Phali is the organisation’s founder and head.
Beyond Ability Talent Solutions was established in 2009, driven by the philosophy to diversify the country’s workforces in line with the objectives of Transformation, with special focus on emancipating Persons with Disabilities economically.
Due to the nature of the recruitment business, cash flow Beyond Ability Talent Solutions’ biggest constraint, Phali discloses. The situation has been aggravated by late payments of invoices by clients.
However, Phali strongly believes that, in due course, through implementation of the current sales strategy, the company will manage the problem. “We are currently looking into creative solutions to like retainer agreements,” she says.
Phali developed compassion and passion about the plight of People with Disabilities while working with her last employer, where she struggled to meet Employment Equity Plan targets (for Persons with Disabilities) in the depots he serviced.
“I realised that a good number of persons with disabilities who had the relevant skills for the world of work were trainable. However, what lacked were people to facilitate between the prospective employer and the potential talent with a Disability.
“It also saddened me to learn that there wasn’t much done, despite that persons with Disabilities are valuable members of society and family breadwinners,” she says.
More to the point, Phali realised that society had to much better for the alarming and growing number of people with disabilities at traffic lights countrywide than merely donating coins. “The practice was not sustainable.”
She also noticed that a Disability Grant from the Department of Social Welfare was never enough because Persons with Disabilities were not only breadwinners, but they also they needed money to sustain themselves and by assistive devices and medication to maintain an independent lifestyle.
“One day I told myself that it was my responsibility to create a future where People with Disabilities were integral members of society,” she says.
Hitherto, Phali considers the journey since Beyond Ability Talent Solutions was established, translating a quintessentially social market into a lucrative opportunity, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
“We stay within the paradigm of Equity and Diversity. This concept is unique as it addresses an ethical, societal and legislative requirement thereby compelling every employer to cooperate. On the other hand, this is a niche market that allows us to also partner with our indirect competitors (agencies who traditionally assist employers with abled candidate),” she says.
Although Beyond Ability Talent Solutions has only an In-house team of four, Phali sees its impact as more far-reaching, as it creates sustainable jobs for career seekers with disabilities countrywide. So far, in a year, the company has facilitated more than 150 Permanent employment, Learnership and Graduate opportunities.
“Our support systems namely Disability Auditors and Training Facilitators, are outsourced on an ad-hoc basis as per project requirements,” she says.
Beyond Ability Talent Solutions’ immediate and long term future plans encompass collating a data of existing and potential entrepreneurs with disabilities, arranging for them the relevant developmental support in order for them to compete fairly in the market in addition to creating access into markets for them.
Phali urges more South Africans to develop technology aimed at People with Disabilities.
“There are a myriad of problems affecting the disability sector, ranging from policy development, removing barriers to access to the right technology in the built environment or transport. Hence, I wholeheartedly encourage anyone passionate about the sector to develop solutions to address the above challenges,” she says.
