Supporting Riders with Disabilities

To date, Foodpanda employs roughly 60 riders with disabilities (approximately 1% of its entire workforce), while GrabFood provides work for 20 riders with physical disabilities from its 13,000 labour force. Deliveroo, which has 6,000 riders in total, does not have available information on riders’ disabilities but it does enlist people with disabilities as part of its team.

While these workers are still in the minority, there are clear indications that their number is rising.

From these numbers, it was estimated that over 8,600 persons with disabilities were employed in the private and public sector in 2017, an increase of nearly 9% from the figure in 2015.

As organisations recognise the gains of promoting a diverse workplace, more and more of them are putting in place processes and policies that could attract a wide range of different talents, including those with disabilities, following the wisdom that employees are likely to walk the extra mile when they feel comfortable in their working environment. 

According to Ku Geok Boon, chief executive officer of SG Enable, “Persons with disabilities are a valuable talent source. When companies focus on their abilities, persons with disabilities can bring needed skills and competencies, and there could be increased productivity and lower turnover as a result.” She further said that “Many companies also see that as employees interact with colleagues with disabilities, they develop greater empathy and have a deeper appreciation of how everyone can contribute to the organisation’s success.”