Employment Service Program for the Disabled People

For Ming-Zong, a person with disabilities, securing and maintaining stable employment seemed like a distant dream. However, with tailored employment support, he successfully started working at the “Bang Bang Building Blocks Hotel,” embarking on a journey that would test his limits and ultimately transform his life.

On his first day at work, Ming-Zong told the staff, “I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed,” in less than an hour, which made everyone worry whether he could adapt to the workplace environment. However, Ming-Zong did not give up. He faced each task with courage and determination, working hard to learn every step of his job. By the third day, in a moment that revealed his immense determination, he showed the staff a pack of painkillers. “I’m prepared to take these every day if that’s what it takes to keep up and get the job done,” he said. This declaration, while concerning, underscored his extraordinary resolve to succeed.

The hotel staff quickly noticed that Ming-Zong was a diligent and reliable teammate. Not only could he assist senior colleagues in completing tasks, but he could also complete work at his own pace. To help Ming-Zong maintain long-term, stable employment, the employment support staff worked with the hotel to adjust his working hours and provide some aids, such as steel-toed rain boots and independent spring cushioned insoles to use with a back-support belt, reducing discomfort in his lower back. Senior colleagues were also patient in teaching him, repeatedly demonstrating tasks until Ming-Zong mastered them.

With this support and care, Ming-Zong not only continued to work steadily but also gradually built confidence. The biggest change is that he can now pay his own rent, reducing the burden on his family. The hotel is committed to maintaining this supportive environment, proving that with reasonable adjustments and a culture of patience, individuals like Ming-Zong can not only contribute meaningfully to the workplace but also achieve the profound goal of independent living. His story is a testament to the power of inclusive employment.

XiaoLin is a sheltered worker who applied for a job at the Little Lamb Sheltered Workshop since its opening in 2014. Because of atrophy of the calf muscles and intellectual disabilities, he cannot stand for long periods of time or carry heavy objects like a normal person, nor can he remember more than two job items at a time. In order to relieve the family's burden and financial pressure, XiaoLin kept looking for job opportunities and worked in car washing, house cleaning, barbecue catering, and paper factory. But he resigned from all of them because of employers and social interpersonal reasons. When his mother learned that Eden Social Welfare Foundation planned to set up a sheltered workshop in Tamsui, she happily tracked the progress of the sheltered workshop and the employment application every day. With the help of Eden and the government, XiaoLin was able to enter the sheltered workshop successfully.

The Little Lamb Sheltered Workshop mainly focuses on handicrafts, which is very different from the type of work XiaoLin used to do. At first, he was frustrated, but with the help of the employment servicers, he was able to set up SOP and redesign his duties, and gradually got the hang of it. Now, XiaoLin has become one of the most stable employees at the Sheltered Workshop. Not only that, he is able to help his colleagues get familiar with the work and become a strong support for everyone.