Dear Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth, Children and People with Disability,

My name is Gloria Mabiletsa. I have a concern regarding employment opportunities given to People with Disabilities especially in Corporate Companies. I have worked in one and had first hand experience as a person with disabilities. We are not treated fairly as employees who are regarded as normal. I experienced that in terms of payment of salaries. We may have the same qualifications but we were given different salaries ours lower than the ones being labeled as normal. In terms of being roped in as permanent candidates they let us go after 4 years of being interns and they hired new interns and the salaries were cut again. I believe the committee should look at employment equity in this companies as their focus is only on BBBEE scores. The environment is somewhat not conducive for people with disabilities to work in especially for those in wheelchairs. They are unable to use the kitchen as it is so high for them to reach. Employees who are regarded as normal do not have the knowledge to work with people with disabilities instead they treat them like they are mentally disabled. Hence there is a need for education and to monitor this places on a regular basis. People with disabilities need to be treated with respect and fairly and this thing of moving them from one learnership or internship to another without giving them stability it is not good. Please do some due diligence and rectify this mistake