Business and Disability Networks support inclusive employment
The Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) established by the ILO provides a framework to help enterprises achieve business success while simultaneously creating equal opportunities for people with disabilities. The Network boasts of a membership of some of the world’s largest multinational companies and employers, leveraging the private sector and its vast potential to put disability inclusion at the forefront of the global agenda. National branches of the Network have been established in over 40 countries worldwide; 13 from the African continent including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
These employer networks offer tremendous value in supporting transition to work for young people with disabilities, to mention a few:
Psychosocial Support and Job Placements
Business and Disability Networks enable employers to systematically think through, and build their business case for inclusion, specific to their industry and reach. This includes; deliberately targeting persons with disabilities as staff or suppliers and distributors, ensuring accessibility of their existing products and services, or designing new niche products and services that specifically meet the needs of customers with disabilities. Business and Disability Networks draw attention to these avenues that private sector actors can explore and offer technical support and linkages for them to facilitate their journeys on the same.
Building a Community of Practice for Disability Inclusive Employers
Members of Business and Disability Networks often have access to annual conferences that present opportunities for learning and networking, facilitated business-to-business dialogue, knowledge-sharing and identification of good practices to grow as role models on disability inclusive employment and the opportunity to become part of a growing reputable global network of multinational companies integrating disability into their organizational values and cultures, workplaces and strategic business plans. These keep disability inclusion high on their agenda and encourage action towards achieving their inclusion goals.
Providing access to a network of employers committed to inclusion
Higher education institutions and other inclusive employment initiatives are provided with linkages to employers that are committed to inclusion, have good capacity to support staff with disabilities and are already taking steps to provide an enabling inclusive working environment. The uphill battle towards getting employer buy-in is already won, making it a smoother process to match students with disabilities to internships and graduates to work placements. Aside from waged jobs, opportunities within the value chains of these actors can also be tapped into to promote access to dignified and fulfilling work for budding entrepreneurs
Uganda Business and Disability Network
The Uganda Business and Disability Network is an employer-led network (formed in support of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network) that works towards creating inclusive workplaces and company culture that is respectful and inclusive towards persons with disabilities, promoting the hiring, retention and professional development of persons with disabilities.
Housed by the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE), the network boasts of a prestigious founding membership with some of the largest national and multinational companies in the country; (Citi Bank, Vivo Energy, Nation Media group, Standard Chartered Bank, Coca-Cola, Uganda Breweries Limited, Xclusive Cuttings and Graphic systems).
Since the network’s launch in December 2019, its members have started their personalised journeys to disability inclusion through the Disability Readiness Campaign for Employers. The campaign run under the UBDN provides employers with the resources and technical support needed to create a disability inclusive workplace in their respective sectors and industries through deliberate steps and actions.
The Network has experienced growth in its membership to over 30 committed private sector actors. FUE has played an instrumental role in attracting its existing membership to join the Network and get technical support through the Make 12.4% Work Initiative on their journeys to becoming more disability inclusive. The Annual Employer of the Year Award ceremony, for example, provides a platform to showcase employers’ efforts and create a positive influence between peers (employers) to become disability inclusive. This is supported by the inclusion of a most Disability Inclusive Employer Award.
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the virus, the Network anticipates more growth and momentum over the coming months. Efforts are also underway to regularly share progress and achievements made by members of the Network towards disability inclusion.
