Webinars

---

For the ninth time, the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) held its global annual conference – this time in a virtual format. The programme included the welcoming of ILO GBDN members that joined in 2022, the presentation and discussion of corporate practices by Multinational Enterprises on topics like digital skilling and employment, disability-inclusive procurement as well as the inclusion of neurodivergent talent. Further, new guidance on disability Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in global companies and the updated ILO GBDN Self-Assessment Tool for companies were launched at the conference. International Sign interpretation and live captioning were provided.

This regional conference brought together representatives from companies – including multinational and small and medium-sized enterprises – with operations in Africa, employers organisations, African Business and Disability Networks, local and international NGOs and organisations of persons with disabilities and welcomed anyone interested in the promotion of private sector employment of persons with disabilities in Africa. The conference provided a forum for the presentation and discussion of:

– good corporate practices

– National Business and Disability Networks

– promoting the employability of persons with disabilities

– partnerships

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing labour market barriers faced by people with disabilities in the Asia and Pacific region. At the same time, the pandemic has accelerated certain Future of Work mega trends, including the growth of the digital economy and the demand for digitally skilled workers.

The ILO Global Business Disability Network (GBDN) two-day conference highlighted recent corporate promising practices in addressing disability inclusion (including from Accenture, Compass Group, Pizza Hut, Sony, Standard Chartered Bank, Tata Consultancy Services) as well as the work of National Business and Disability Networks.

Interpretation into International Sign was provided.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing labour market barriers faced by people with disabilities in the Asia and Pacific region. At the same time, the pandemic has accelerated certain Future of Work mega trends, including the growth of the digital economy and the demand for digitally skilled workers.

The ILO Global Business Disability Network (GBDN) two-day conference focussed on its second day on Digital in Demand (DiD) initiatives, aimed at bringing enterprises and digital skills training providers closer together to enable the employment of persons with disabilities in the digital economy, including by tackling stereotypes based on disability and gender. Through group work sessions, practical recommendations to digital skills training providers, government or international donors, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and disability NGOs on how to overcome barriers to digital skills acquisition by persons with disabilities were developed.

Interpretation into International Sign was provided.

Cette conférence régionale réuni des représentants d’entreprises – y compris des multinationales et des petites et moyennes entreprises – opérant en Afrique, des organisations d’employeurs, des réseaux africains Entreprises et Handicap, des ONG locales et internationales et des organisations de personnes en situation de handicap et accueillie toute personne intéressée par la promotion de l’emploi des personnes en situation de handicap dans le secteur privé en Afrique. La conférence offerte un forum pour la présentation et la discussion de:

– bonnes pratiques d’entreprises

– Réseaux Nationaux Entreprises et Handicap

– favoriser l’employabilité des personnes handicapées

– partenariats

How can business change ideas and possibilities around the inclusion and employment of persons with disabilities? Hosted by the ILO’s Global Business and Disability Network, this webinar featured experiences from the private sector around the world. The webinar explored what can be done in practice to tackle stigma and stereotypes on disability, and what approaches there are to focus on talent and inclusion.

Speakers:

Anne-Sophie Beraud – VP Group Inclusion & Diversity, AccorHotels (GBDN Chair): introduced the webinar series and the challenges companies face in creating a shared positive understanding of disability and disability issues;

Yves Veulliet – Global Disability & Inclusion Program Manager, IBM (GBDN Vice-Chair): gave a keynote presentation highlighting key messages and techniques for making new conversations on disability inclusion in global business;

Shashaank Awasthi – Co-founder, V-shesh (an award-winning India-based company promoting inclusion): presented conversations with employers and new perspectives to respond to their key concerns on disability.

Please download the webinar presentations here.

Senior accountability and global governance frameworks are essential for any multinational company wanting to enable consistent, equitable and dignified treatment for people with disabilities in every market they operate in.

This webinar launched the ILO Global Business and Disability Network’s “Accountability in Action” – a detailed profile of the GSK Global Disability Confidence Council, which provides a unique insight into how a global company structures the governance and senior accountability to focus on disability inclusion in key areas – such as tech, premises, recruitment, products and services – with the aim to deliver consistent best practice globally. Download at http://www.businessanddisability.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/GSK_GDCC.pdf

Nick Hirons, Senior Vice President Global Ethics and Compliance & Chair of the Global Disability Confidence Council, presented the Council, its values and ways of working; how and why it sets global priorities and standards; and offered his ‘top tips’ for any CEO seeking to benefit from GSK’s long experience positioning disability equality as an ethical and economic imperative.

Margaret Smith, Senior Managing Director Geographic Services and Business Operations at Accenture, shared her experience regarding how senior executive disability champions can shape the global cultures which then enable consistent fair and equitable treatment of all persons with disabilities.

Andy Garrett, member of the GSK Global Disability Confidence Council and Workplace Adjustments and Accessibility Lead, shared how the company is operationalising GSK’s global commitment to implementing consistent service standards and values.

Susan Scott-Parker OBE, founder business disability international, introduced the “Accountability in Action” profile, which she wrote in close collaboration with the Council. Susan also moderated the session.

Live captioning and International Sign interpretation were provided.

Learn more about the ILO Global Business and Disability Network: http://www.businessanddisability.org/

This session presented the “Digital in Demand” initiative of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) and was chaired by Susan Scott-Parker, Strategic Advisor to the ILO GBDN. The initiative’s goal is to enable people with disabilities to access the digital skills which are “in demand” with employers.

Speakers: Jürgen Menze, ILO, Switzerland; Bernd Schramm, GIZ, Germany; Daniel Otumbai Omondi, Graduate at Bridge Academy, Kenya; Simon Brown, Sightsavers International, United Kingdom; Tabie Kioko, Safaricom, Kenya; Lesa Bradshaw, Bradshaw Leroux Consulting, South Africa.

This session was part of the Zero Project Conference 2022.

The webinar “Affirmative recruitment practices: Ensuring an inclusive experience for job seekers with disabilities” showed that to harness the business benefits of disability inclusion, companies proactively remove barriers in their recruitment practices to ensure inclusive experiences for everyone, including people with disabilities.

Accenture and the Australian Public Service Commission presented case studies on their inclusive recruitment practices.

Speakers:
Alberto Lapi & Aldo Pozzoli, Accenture
Robyn Beutel, Australian Public Service Commission

Moderator:
Bruce Roch, Adecco Group

The digital revolution in the world of work impacts all. How does it impact people with disabilities? Which chances and potential barriers does digitalised work bring for disability inclusion? What are the actions to ensure nobody is left behind and the digital divide is closed? The report “An inclusive digital economy for people with disabilities”, developed by the ILO Global Business and Disability Network and Fundacion ONCE in the framework of Disability Hub Europe, aims to answer those and other relevant questions. The publication was launched at the Zero Project conference on 10 February 2021. Live captioning and International Sign were provided.