National Geographic Logo - Home
    Paid content for Grab
    Image of Deaf bakery owner with his staff
    • History & Culture
    • Article

    Technology is opening doors for Southeast Asia's disabled

    Persons with disabilities in Southeast Asia are finding more earning opportunities thanks to tech companies making apps that let them showcase their skills.

    Persons with disabilities are finding less barriers to earning opportunities thanks to a more inclusive environment fostered by technology.
    Photograph courtesy National Geographic CreativeWorks
    Published January 14, 2022
    • 6 min read
    This is Paid Content for Grab. The editorial staff of National Geographic was not involved in the preparation or production of this content.
    2:00
    Technology is leveling the playing field in Southeast Asia by making earning opportunities more accessible to people from all walks of life. Learn how Charles, a Deaf delivery driver, along with Jasmine and Edward, a Deaf couple who own a bakery find independence through technology.
    Video by Nat Geo CreativeWorks

    Roszana Ali is doing all right by most accounts. She supplements her family’s income by working in the food delivery industry, and she works on her own time, within her own schedule. Until you meet her, what you wouldn’t know is that she has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair to get around.

    For Roszana and many persons with disabilities (PWDs), earning opportunities can be difficult to come by. Carving out a livelihood is challenging when you must also deal with discrimination and accessibility limitations of the physical environment, just to find work or conduct a business.

    Image of Grab food delivery partner Roszana Ali.
    Roszana Ali from Singapore found food delivery to be a good earning opportunity for her, one that lets her work on her own schedule.
    Photograph courtesy Grab
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Globally, almost two-thirds of PWDs of working age are not a part of the workforce. In Asia-Pacific, PWDs are two to six times less likely to be employed as compared to persons without disabilities. However, the situation is changing. Superapps in the region are creating an environment through which more people can find earning opportunities. Since these apps are designed to be accessible and easy to use, they foster more inclusion. PWDs can be assigned gig work as long as they have the relevant ability to deliver on the required task.

    Such apps see Roszana as someone who can work as a delivery partner because cerebral palsy and being a wheelchair user doesn’t impact her capability in providing delivery services. It’s the value she brings as someone who’s able to deliver food services, that allows her to generate additional earnings for herself.

    Image of Deaf bakery owner Jasmine
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
    Image of Deaf bakery owner Edward
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
    Left: Business owners like Jasmine have been using superapps to bolster sales and reach new customers.
    Right: While Jasmine focuses on the business end of things, her husband Edward makes sure that they produce high-quality baked goods.
    Photographs courtesy National Geographic CreativeWorks

    Apart from gig workers, the technology also helps merchants like Jasmine and Edward, a Deaf couple who owns and operates a bakery in Malaysia. Since listing their business on a superapp, they have increased their ability to reach new patrons by tapping on the app’s customer base. The effort needed to coordinate deliveries is also managed through the app. By leveraging its network of delivery riders, Jasmine and Edward do not have to invest in their own delivery fleet, which allows them to concentrate on what they do best: create delicious baked goods.

    The accessibility that comes with superapps provides everyone with a fair and equal opportunity to earn an income and provide for their loved ones in a fast-changing world. Tech companies like Grab, are leading the way in this regard, as they evolve the services they provide such as food delivery, ride-hailing and digital payments, to be more inclusive for both partners and consumers.

    Image of the Grab superapp
    Anyone can earn from gig work on a superapp, as long as they have the capability to provide delivery services on the platform.
    Photograph courtesy National Geographic CreativeWorks
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    For example, Grab ensures representation for its PWD partners through its Driver Representative Committee in Malaysia. This committee, which is attended by PWD drivers and delivery partners alike, builds engagement between Grab and its partners, and offers a direct line to Grab so that Grab can offer assistance should the need arise.

    On the other end of the spectrum, to make sure that passengers with disabilities are comfortably ferried from one destination to another, the company’s Grab Assist service features vehicles that can accommodate folding wheelchairs, walkers, and collapsible scooters. Available in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, drivers that are part of the programme are also trained to assist passengers with disability and mobility challenges.

    “At Grab, we’re committed to leaving no one behind in the digital economy and doing our part to increase inclusivity for Persons with Disabilities on the platform. This ranges from providing earning opportunities for our driver, delivery and merchant-partners, to offering inclusive assisted mobility services for our consumers, and continuously advocating for greater inclusion in Southeast Asia by working alongside like-minded partners and disability advocacy groups.” Cheryl Goh, Group Head of Marketing and Sustainability, Grab.

    This is just the beginning. With tech companies leading the way, the doors will only continue opening further.

    Image of the Grab payments system
    Access to a wider customer base allowed business owners to focus on maximizing earnings instead of taking on the cost of maintaining a delivery fleet.
    Photograph courtesy National Geographic CreativeWorks
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.


    Read This Next

    • Paid Content

    How gig work improves livelihood prospects for millions in Southeast Asia

    Tech companies are helping the region’s informal workers find more earning opportunities while also providing them with extra protection.
    • Paid Content

    Technology is opening avenues for traditional businesses

    Superapps are helping traditional businesses by giving them tools for success in a rapidly digitizing world.
    • Paid Content

    How tech is empowering Southeast Asia's financially underserved

    Technology is enriching the lives of millions of people by providing access to critical financial services.

    Legal

    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your California Privacy Rights
    • Children's Online Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    • About Nielsen Measurement
    • Do Not Sell My Info

    Our Sites

    • Nat Geo Home
    • Attend a Live Event
    • Book a Trip
    • Buy Maps
    • Inspire Your Kids
    • Shop Nat Geo
    • Visit the D.C. Museum
    • Watch TV
    • Learn About Our Impact
    • Support our Mission
    • Nat Geo Partners
    • Masthead
    • Press Room
    • Advertise With Us

    Join Us

    • Subscribe
    • Customer Service
    • Renew Subscription
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Work at NatGeo
    • Signup for Our Newsletters
    • Contribute to Protect the Planet
    • Pitch a Story

    Follow us


    National Geographic Logo - Home

    Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved