Wheelchairs in the workforce: Thai advocates fight for disability rights
- Photography by Peerapon Boonyakiat
Apichart Butta and Ronnapat Wongpha, disabled PIL members and lottery vendors, navigate a challenging railway crossing in Bangkok, highlighting the daily obstacles faced by wheelchair users in the city due to lack of accessibility. Photo: Peerapon Boonyakiat/HaRDstories
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- 7 min read
In Thailand, people living with disabilities face a staggering 93 percent unemployment rate, despite many being able and eager to work. Advocates are pushing back against cultural stereotypes and limited job prospects to prove that disability doesn’t mean inability.
A single act of courage – attempting to break up a bar fight – left Authapol Srichitsanuwaranon with a bullet in his spine and a future as a wheelchair user. In a country where jobs for the disabled are scarce, he first thought about selling lottery tickets in the streets of Nakhon Pathom, a role that offered some financial stability thanks to a 20 percent sales quota for disabled vendors.
Growing up in Nakhon Pathom, an hour from Bangkok, Authapol was no stranger to the sight of wheelchair users and visually impaired people selling lottery tickets in front of the town’s iconic giant pagoda.
“Many people buy lottery tickets from disabled sellers not just because they enjoy gambling, but also out of a sense of pity,” the 42-year-old said. “They believe that buying from someone with a disability is a virtuous act that will somehow benefit them in return.”
Influenced by Buddhist beliefs, Thai society often views physical or neurological impairments as the result of one’s misdeeds in past lives. Authapol struggled to overcome this stigma and redefine his identity, taking some time to shed internalized labels and return to his job as a civil engineer.
Now, he and his colleagues at the Phuttamonton Independent Living Centre (PIL) work to challenge prevailing attitudes about disability within the community and beyond, aiming to show that individuals with disabilities have much more to offer professionally than many believe.
Where are the workers with disabilities?
Recent data from Thailand’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities shows a staggering disparity: of the more than 813,260 Thais with disabilities of working age, a mere 6.8 percent are employed, despite many being capable of working.
The Phuttamonton Independent Living Centre (PIL), founded in 2007 by a group of wheelchair users, aims to bridge this gap. Inspired by the Japan-originated Independent Living (IL) movement that took root in Thailand in the early 2000s, PIL is one of around ten IL centres operating nationwide, according to Authapol.
With recommendations from local health offices and hospitals, PIL visits people with disabilities in Nakhon Pathom, offering peer counseling and empowering them to lead independent lives, from managing daily routines to reintegrating into society.
But when it comes to having financial autonomy, career options for those with disabilities are limited. Even PIL’s four staff members work as volunteers in their non-profit organisation, highlighting the scarcity of paid opportunities.
Several factors contribute to the exclusion of people with disabilities from the workforce, with accessibility being a significant barrier to education. Assoc. Prof. Adam Neelapaijit from the Faculty of Medicine at Ramathibodi Hospital, who has researched disability employment, points to another major obstacle: the profound knowledge gap about disabilities among employers.
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“Many employers are genuinely interested in hiring disabled staff but struggle to determine which positions to assign them,” Adam said. “Employers tend to rely on their usual recruitment experiences, limiting opportunities for those with physical or neurological impairments who may find it challenging to compete.”
While Thai law mandates that employers and government agencies hire one person with disabilities for every hundred staff members, many workplaces opt for the simpler legal alternative of contributing to a government fund or sponsoring individuals with disabilities in home-based programs, rather than integrating disabled individuals into the mainstream workforce.
Understanding disabilities
The town of Nakhon Pathom recently witnessed an unusual sight: a group of wheelchair users and blindfolded people rolling through the streets, snapping selfies at iconic landmarks. The event was part of “Ma Long De” (Come try! – in Thai), an outreach workshop organised by PIL to shed light on the physical and social challenges faced by disabled communities.
The workshop, held in early September, brought together health officers, community workers, and people with disabilities to navigate a series of eye-opening activities. Participants were blindfolded and seated in wheelchairs, gaining firsthand experience of the obstacles encountered by those with visual and mobility impairments.
PIL now plans to extend its outreach efforts to Human Resources (HR) officers, aiming to initiate a dialogue about issues that many find difficult to discuss.
“Our goal is to broaden society’s understanding of disabilities,” said Authapol. “People with disabilities don’t just spend their lives at home or in the hospital; they have professional lives too.”
In 2008, a pub fight left Authapol with a permanently injured spine, and a year and a half after the accident, his supervisor asked him to return to his role as a construction manager to ensure the smooth progress of a road project. Initially hesitant and still grappling with his physical condition, Authapol agreed to give it a try.
His colleagues constructed a makeshift wheelchair ramp, and by openly discussing his challenges with his coworkers, Authapol was able to complete all his tasks just as he had before, earning the same salary.
“My manager asked, ‘Should we give it a try and see what you can do?'” Authapol recalled. “If he had asked me out of pity, I would not have gone back.”
Embracing differences
As footsteps approach the information counter, Kannikar Wongpen greets visitors with a warm smile. When asked about a lost ID card or marriage certificate, the 38-year-old woman swiftly drags her finger across the corner of the touch-screen board, reading the braille tape before printing out a queue ticket.
Kannikar is one of six employees with disabilities working at the Dusit District Office in Bangkok’s old town, part of a team of 390 staff members providing services across fifty offices in the capital.
Public agencies are required by law to employ people with disabilities, but many have failed to meet this requirement without facing penalties or contributing to the disability empowerment fund, as the private sector does. However, since a progressive governing team took office in 2022, the Bangkok municipality has become a leader among public agencies in hiring individuals with disabilities.
“My boss lets me explore and design the workflow myself,” said Kannikar, who lost her eyesight in her early twenties due to glaucoma. “I told my colleagues directly what I can and cannot do. Then we divide roles.”
As a receptionist, Kannikar has developed her own system using braille tapes and paper clips to classify documents. She focuses on answering phone calls while her colleague with full eyesight double-checks the documents handed in by visitors.
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Panumas Sukamporn, a consultant to the Bangkok governor and a wheelchair user himself, explained, “Our first group of disabled staff helped us write new job descriptions. Like many employers, our staff didn’t know initially how to work with disabled colleagues or how they could contribute, but we can learn from one another.”
Panumas, who faced discrimination when applying for an official broadcaster license that required applicants to be non-disabled, is determined to lead the Bangkok municipality towards greater inclusivity. Drawing from his experiences on the employer side, he recognises the gaps that need to be addressed.
As the Bangkok municipality enters its second year under the new administration, plans are underway to organise reflection sessions with the first batch of employees with disabilities. These sessions will assess what has worked well and what needs improvement. The aim is to tailor roles that align with each individual’s skills and abilities.
“With insights from disabled staff, we can develop guidelines for positions that suit their conditions and even break stereotypes,” said Panumas, who believes that wheelchair users are not limited to desk work. “If the existing roles don’t fit, let’s try designing a job that does.”
Beyond one-size-fits-all
Not only are state agencies required to bring disabled staff on board, but so is the private sector. While many employers choose legal alternatives, major home equipment retailer Homepro prioritises getting individuals with disabilities as part of their team. In doing so, they have discovered a surprising insight: their disabled staff have lower turnover rates than the rest.
“We discuss career expectations with our staff,” said Chanan Watanasuntorn, vice president of Homepro’s employment management department. “Some people want to be promoted, but many others actually don’t feel the need to climb the corporate ladder.”
In their ninety stores nationwide, Homepro staff typically move up the career ladder from stock checkers to department managers. However, based on Chanan’s experiences with their hundred disabled staff out of a total of 11,000 employees, the majority are satisfied with working as team members rather than taking on leadership roles.
Homepro gives their workers the options to join the conventional career development track or stick with their current position. Having HR staff taking care of each neighbourhood, the division helps regularly discuss expectations with their staff.
“You have to remember that beneath their disability identities lie each person’s personality,” Professor Adam said. “When it comes to employing persons with disabilities, you cannot produce a dozen shirts to fit all, but it is an art of tailoring suits.”
He stressed that Thai disability empowerment law allows for flexible employment options, including for those who prefer working at home due to their disability conditions or just mere personal preferences. Meanwhile, some people would rather work as part of a professional team to learn new things, have social circles, or fight toward a more inclusive society.
“Ultimately, I hope to see persons with disabilities pick their job beyond what’s available, but to be able to choose the profession that suits their personality,” said Adam.
This story was produced with support from UNDP Media Fellowship on Sustainable Development
Nicha Wachpanich is a Bangkok-based journalist covering stories from a rights-based and human-interest perspective. She previously worked with a local environmental news agency under Thai Society of Environmental Journalists.
Peerapon Boonyakiat is a freelance photojournalist based in Bangkok and working for Hong Kong-based SOPA Images. He is interested in political stories involving conflict between the people and the government.
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