Webinars

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Persons with disabilities are less likely to participate in the labour market, and when they do, they face higher unemployment rates, are more likely to be self-employed and tend to earn lower wages. These disparities do not appear to be explained solely by individual characteristics such as educational attainment, experience or occupational category. They are most likely driven by various other factors as well, including limited provision of workplace accommodations in many firms, the potentially greater job flexibility offered by self-employment, and discrimination against people with disabilities. 

This webinar by the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) discussed key insights re the disability pay gap, also based on the ILO Working Paper "A study on the employment and wage outcomes of people with disabilities", present the unintended and negative consequences of measuring the corporate disability pay gap and explain how wage equity benefits a company.

This Zero Project Conference 2025 Forum by the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) explored how companies, investors and standard setters can effectively put the "I" - that stands for Inclusion - in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and other sustainability frameworks. The move by investors and companies to incorporate disability inclusion into the ESG ecosystem is still in its early stages. Clearer direction on the "why" and "how" to integrate disability inclusion into their ESG and other sustainability strategies is essential for advancing these efforts and ensuring that disability inclusion becomes a meaningful part of ESG approaches and responsible business conduct.

The session "Exploring Reasonable Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities" at the 13th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, 25-27 November 2024, discussed the concept of "reasonable accommodations", sometimes referred to as "reasonable adjustments", as a crucial element for upholding the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of business activities, and for strengthening their inclusion in all aspects of society. Reasonable accommodation aims to provide equal opportunities for employees at the workplace, so their skills and talents can be used to full capacity. By recognizing and accommodating individual needs, businesses create work environments that truly welcome the diversity of their staff and contribute to business activities. The session was co-organized by the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Global Business and Disability Network, the Disability Rights Fund, the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE), together with the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN) and the ILO Global Business Disability Network (GBDN), held the webinar "Talent with Disabilities: Bridging the Skills Gap Through Inclusive Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning (WBL) for People with Disabilities" to discuss apprenticeship and WBL programs as a means to bridge the skills gap and equip employers with practical knowledge to foster inclusive workplaces. 

The session "Business leadership on disability rights as human rights", at the 3rd African Business and Human Rights Forum, on 8 October, highlighted the human rights generally, and the labour rights specifically, of persons with disabilities as a marginalised group, which can be and are already protected and promoted by leading companies in the African business community. 

Multinational enterprises (MNEs), regionally and nationally operating companies as well as Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa show a growing commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities in their policies, programmes and workforces. 

As the promotion of disability rights in the private, for-profit sector is a learning process, National Business and Disability Networks (NBDNs), including in several African countries, provide a space for companies to join their peers that share the same values and commitment on disability inclusion to exchange on this topic and benefit from the expertise of actors from the disability sector. At global level the African NBDNs are part of the more than forty NBDN members of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN).

The Global Disability Summit (GDS) is a unique worldwide mechanism that improves the lives of persons with disabilities, especially from the Global South. Created in 2017, GDS convenes global, regional, and national stakeholders, including businesses, that share the goal of disability-inclusive development. 

GDS provides a unique opportunity for businesses to engage with multiple stakeholders to come together to generate strong political traction for disability inclusion and align for systemic and tangible change. 

Co-hosted by Germany, Jordan, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the Third GDS will take place on 2-3 April 2025 in Berlin, Germany. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, His Majesty King Abdullah II and the UN Deputy Secretary-General will inaugurate the Summit. 

This ILO GBDN webinar, supported by GIZ, provided further information about the GDS, why businesses should engage and how they can do it. 

How can organisations optimise procurement’s vital strategic business, economic and societal impact to the benefit of business and the global community of persons with disabilities?

The ILO Global Business and Disability Network's side event "Businesses driving a sustainable future: disability-inclusive employment and ESG" at the 17th Conference of States Parties (COSP17) to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – co-sponsored by the United Nations Global Compact and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) – highlighted latest good corporate practices as they relate to the employment of persons with disabilities in companies’ sustainability efforts, including as part of wider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies. Interpretation into International Sign and live captioning in English, French and Spanish were provided.

The ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) is partnering with the Zero Project to encourage companies to nominate their good practices in the area of disability-inclusive employment. The Zero Project focuses on researching and advancing innovative solutions for the inclusion of persons with disabilities. It has established a global network of more than 10,000 experts, policy makers, and other changemakers to support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The ILO GBDN’s webinar “Disability-inclusive Employment: Nominating corporate solutions in the context of the Zero Project” on 24 April 2024 presented the Zero Project Call for Nominations 2025 (#ZeroCall25), which focuses on the topics of disability-inclusive and accessible employment.

Find out more about #ZeroCall25 on zeroproject.org/zerocall25

Reasonable adjustments at the workplace, often times also referred to as reasonable accommodations, may include adaptations to the job, including modification of machinery and equipment and/or of an employee’s job content, working time and work organization. Reasonable adjustments aim to provide equal opportunities for employees at the workplace, so their skills and talents can be used to full capacity. By recognizing and accommodating individual needs, companies create work environments that truly welcome the diversity of their staff, including people with disabilities, and thereby contribute to greater business success.

The webinar featured Mark Bell, Regius Professor of Laws, Trinity College Dublin; Sarah Cline, Global Workplace Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Accenture; Andy Garrett, Workplace Adjustments and Accessibility Director, GSK; and Daniel Mwesigwa Iga, Board Member, World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry.

ILO "Promoting diversity and inclusion through workplace adjustments: A practical guide"