For the first time, twelve musicians with vision impairment have been awarded National Certificate 2 or NC2 vocational qualification. The Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority assessed their skills last month for the certification. This is expected to empower individuals with blindness and make them more employable in the job market.
The National Health Survey 2023 indicates that approximately 48,000 individuals live with disabilities in Bhutan, accounting for 6.8 per cent of the total population.
Among them, almost 1.8 per cent of the population consists of individuals with visual impairment.
According to the 2017 Population and Housing Census of Bhutan, the prevalence of disabilities is notably higher in rural areas compared to urban areas.
However, the recent Industry Census Report, 2024 indicated that only 0.7 per cent of offices and businesses in the country employ individuals with disabilities.
This means that even in urban settings, people with disabilities face significant challenges in securing employment.
The recent certification of the persons with visual impairment for traditional music in Dramnyen and Yangchen is to ease their employability.
“Recently, a group of persons with visual impairments approached the organisation. They said they could play the musical instruments well and requested that the organisation find an opportunity for them to get certified. Thinking that if they have a national certificate at hand, it would be easier for them to get a job in either the government or private agencies, so the organisation facilitated the certification programme,” said Yonten Jamtsho, Programme Officer of Disabled People’s Organisation of Bhutan.
He also added that while they have learned to play music with their talents, without a certificate, it was hard for them to make a living through music.
“It is necessary to have a national certificate. If we don’t have it in any kind of job that we are applying for, it is difficult. For this reason, thinking that the certificate would benefit me even in the disabled people’s community, I participated in the programme,” said Tenzin, Thimphu.
“Thinking that this would be an opportunity for me to get a job as a music teacher in any of the schools after being certified, I took part in the traditional music assessment,” said Dorji Wangmo, Thimphu.
The NC2 certificate in Bhutan refers to a qualification that demonstrates the ability to perform skilled work. It is comparable to class XI in terms of learning outcomes. To transition to NC3, they will have to wait for six months and sit for an assessment.
The initiative is expected to foster independence and inclusivity for the professional growth of persons with disabilities.
Kelzang Chhophyel
Edited by Kipchu
