ILO Global Business and Disability Network
Bangalore Meeting
17 February 2011
Summary Notes and Presentations
1. Background information and programme
Wipro hosted the third inaugural planning meeting of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network in
Bangalore on 17 February 2011. The meeting consisted of a full day with a morning agenda including
welcoming remarks by the host and two ILO officials and presentations from seven multinational
companies and three employers’ network. The afternoon agenda included presentations from three
disability resource groups; remarks on survey outcomes and findings of the Paris and New York
meetings; five separate roundtable discussions related to the Network’s organizational structure and
procedures, funding, communication methods, future activities, and engagement with employers’
networks on disability; reports on the roundtable findings; future steps of the Network; and closing
comments.
Along with the meeting, the ILO arranged two optional half-day side events. On 16 February, Yahoo!
hosted a visit to its facility where participants learned about Web accessibility and the company’s
disability-related workplace accommodations. On 18 February, MphasiS and the Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) jointly hosted a visit to the IIM-B’s Office of Disability Services (ODS) to
introduce the establishment of the ODS and the services it offers to students with disabilities.
For the agenda, please see Annex 1.
2. Handouts and materials
Prior to the meeting, the organizers sent out the following handouts to the participants: official
invitation letter, agenda for meeting and site visits, information on venue and possible accommodations,
participant list, registration form, and a brief discussion note about the Network.
At the meeting, the ILO distributed the following materials: Disability in the Workplace: Company
Practices (ILO, 2010), The ILO at a glance (ILO, 2008), Managing disability in the workplace (ILO, 2002),
Public-private-partnership for decent work (ILO, 2009), and ILO Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983, (No. 159) and Recommendation (No. 168), 1983.
For meeting handouts, please see Annex 2.
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3. Participants
Fifty-six participants – 31 from 19 multinational companies, 12 from nine employers’ networks, six from
three disability resource groups, and seven from the ILO – attended the meeting.
For a complete list of participants, please see Annex 3.
4. Welcome and introductions
Chair: Mr Isaac George V, General Manager of Talent Management & Engagement, Wipro

Mr George welcomed everyone to the third inaugural planning meeting of the Network. As with
the previous two meetings held in Paris and New York in November 2010, the goals of the
meetings were (1) to learn about the disability-related policies, practices and initiatives of
companies, employers’ networks and disability resource groups and (2) to discuss the directions
and next-steps of organizing the Network.

Mr George concluded by introducing the opening speakers.
4.1 Opening speeches
Ms Deborah France-Massin, Deputy Director, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ILO

Ms France-Massin delivered words of welcome on behalf of the ILO and provided an overview of
the ILO’s history and tripartite structure. She explained that the Bureau for Employers’ Activities
aimed to bring the ILO closer to businesses and businesses closer to the ILO by engaging in a
direct relationship around issues of common concern.

The Network’s inaugural planning meetings worked as an avenue to tap into the knowledge of
businesses, particularly in the world of work. Through the outcomes of the Network’s meetings,
the ILO would be able to strengthen its own knowledge base and businesses/organizations
would be able to add an additional dimension to their work as well. She concluded by stating
that the purpose of the inaugural planning meetings was to discuss how to develop the Network
so that it meets the needs of businesses, employers’ networks, and disability resource groups.
Ms Debra Perry, Senior Specialist in Disability Inclusion, Skills and Employability Department, ILO

Ms Perry welcomed all participants to the meeting and thanked Wipro for hosting the event.
She provided an outline the ILO’s work in the disability context. The ILO’s involvement in
disability started off by advocating for the vocational rehabilitation of disabled soldiers after
WWI. In 1955, the ILO adopted a recommendation related to vocational rehabilitation which
called for the use of regular services for people with disabilities; in 1985, the ILO adopted a
Convention and another recommendation; and in 2001, the ILO developed the ILO Code of
Practice for Managing Disability in the Workplace. While the recommendations and Convention
are primarily directed to governments, the Code provides guidance to employers. She also
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referenced the adoption of the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(UNCRPD) in 2006 which had triggered many countries to change their employment laws, which
would directly affect the operations of businesses and employers.

Based on her experience in working with companies, she introduced five reasons employers hire
disabled persons: (1) They have to – there is a legal or policy basis within the country or
company, such as a quota system or non-discrimination laws (2) They were asked to – by a
specialized job placement agency or the application of a disabled person, (3) They should –
because of codes of practices, framework agreements or corporate social responsibility (CSR),
(4) The business case – many companies hire disabled persons because they understand the
power of diversity and that people with disabilities, if properly trained and matched to a job
based on their abilities, make reliable employees, and (5) Peer influence – some employers have
been influenced by other businesses. Many companies often hire for the first three reasons but
then experience the business case. Through the Network, it is hoped to use peer influence to
further employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Ms Perry explained that a perfect storm of events had occurred to establish the Network. DowEurope and several other companies had approached the ILO requesting assistance on issues
related to disability inclusion. After some initial discussions, the ILO offered to form a network of
companies, employers’ networks, and resource groups to address disability issues. Along with
the interest from companies and employers to get a Network started, the ILO had a new publicprivate partnership policy in place and the UNCRPD had created a renewed attention to
disability issues internationally.

By the end of the day, Ms Perry hoped that participants would: (1) Get to know each other and
begin to share information, (2) Learn about the disability initiatives of the ILO, businesses,
employers’ network and disability resource groups, (3) Provide specific input and ideas into the
organization, funding and membership of the Network, and (4) Identify the next steps for
moving forward.
4.2 Brief introduction from participants
All participants briefly introduced themselves by offering their name and the company/organization
they represented.
5. Company presentations
Part 1, Chair:
Ms Deborah France-Massin, Deputy Director, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ILO
5.1 Carrefour
Mr Fauzi Hassan, Human Resources Director, Carrefour Malaysia
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
Attached is a modified version of Mr Hassan’s presentation. The pictures embedded in the slides
have been deleted to reduce the size of the presentation. The original version can be sent upon
request. A brief summary of the presentation is described below.
Carrefour

Mr Hassan announced that Carrefour opened its first store in India in 2011. He then introduced
Carrefour’s CSR policies and discussed the company’s efforts to hire people with disabilities.
While highlighting the number of disabled employees working in the company’s regions of
operations, he stressed the significance of not only hiring but also retaining employees with
disabilities.

In Carrefour Malaysia, the company has set specific targets for 2011 and 2012 to hire people
with disabilities. The “Open Employment Model”, established to support people with disabilities
from the initial stages of job search and job matching to the last stages of training and
integration, highlights the company’s effort to retain disabled persons. Carrefour also raises
awareness about people with disabilities through media channels, employee activities, and
events.

To conclude, Mr Hassan shared a video clip of the disability work carried out by Carrefour
Malaysia.
5.2 MphasiS
Ms Meenu Bhambani, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, MphasiS, India

Attached is Ms Bhambani’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
MphasiS

Ms Bhambani explained debates exist about separating diversity issues from CSR. However, she
underscored that CSR has been used as a strategy to increase the number of employees with
disabilities within businesses and that it helps bring in talented persons into the system at
MphasiS.

Ms Bhambani outlined MphasiS’ business profile and introduced the company’s CSR strategy
across three areas: employability, education and entrepreneurship. She further shared the
number of people with disabilities working at MphasiS and described the positions held by them.
She stressed that employees with disabilities are not restricted in the positions they can hold, i.e.
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they work across all functions and levels depending on their skills, and noted that the company
collaborates with various partners – educational institutions, disabled persons’ organizations,
and non-governmental organizations – to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities
within the society.
5.3 Marks and Spencer
Ms Jyotsna Belliappa, Ethical Compliance Officer, Marks and Spencer, India

Attached is Ms Belliappa’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
Marks and Spencer

Ms Belliappa provided an overview of Marks and Spencer mission of “becoming the world’s
most sustainable retailer by 2015” through the company’s programme called Pan A. Plan A
divides the company’s sustainable efforts across five pillars: climate change, waste, fair trade,
sourcing, and health. “Marks and Starts”, the company’s work experience programme
implemented throughout its supply chain for homeless, people with disabilities, lone parents
and young people, is an initiative under fair trade.

Marks and Starts in South Asia is especially focused on working with people with disabilities and
offers a tailored curriculum based on ability. Placements address disability issues when needed.
For example, to alleviate any communication barriers among the Deaf workers, a group of
approximately 10 hearing impaired workers sit together to facilitate communication. Marks and
Starts accommodates people with all types of disabilities and a buddy system has been critical to
the success of the programme.
The following questions and discussion points followed the presentations.

A question was raised about how the companies manage to retain people with disabilities.

Mr Hassan replied that Carrefour provides accommodation and transportation for people with
disabilities coming from remote areas. In addition, the company offers emotional support
services for disabled workers.

Ms Belliappa at Marks and Spencer commented that the buddy system/mentoring system has
been critical to increasing the retention rate of disabled workers. She also noted that since there
are less job opportunities for people with disabilities, once hired, they tend to stay on the job for
a longer period than non-disabled people.
Part 2, Chair:
Mr Henrik Moller, Senior Advisor, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ILO
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5.4 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Ms Nina Screwvalla, Global Head TCS Maitree, Tata Consultancy Services, India

Attached is Ms Screwvalla’s presentation. A brief summary of the presentation is described
below.
TCS

After introducing TCS Maitree, Ms Screwvalla gave a detailed presentation about the Advanced
Computer Training Centre for Visually Impaired, a centre launched by TCS to provide
employment opportunities for visually-impaired people. The Centre offers a 40-day training
programme to a selected number of students in the areas of IT, business process outsourcing,
and soft skills. To date, of the 77 students that have received training, 43 have been employed.

To conclude, Ms Screwvalla called for companies to provide more employment opportunities for
people with disabilities and to create a more inclusive corporate culture. She underscored that
in certain situations, people with disabilities can be more able than non-disabled people.
5.5 Wipro
Mr Isaac George V, General Manager of Talent Management & Engagement, Wipro, India

Attached is a modified version of Mr George’s presentation. The pictures embedded in the slides
have been deleted to reduce the size of the presentation. The original version can be sent upon
request. A brief summary of the presentation is described below.
Wipro

Mr George provided an outline on Wipro’s journey towards inclusivity. Two years ago, the
company did not have a sustainable policy towards hiring or retaining disabled people. However,
in the past two years, Wipro built a framework and actively sought qualified people with
disabilities. In the next two years, Wipro aims to ingrain inclusivity within the corporate culture.

He further summarized Wipro’s “Framework for inclusivity”, which focuses on the following five
areas: accessible infrastructure, people policies, information systems, talent transformation, and
talent acquisition, and explained each in detail.
5.6 Telenor (via tele-conference)
Ms Palwasha Sherin Khan, Corporate Responsibility Executive, Telenor Pakistan
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
Attached is a modified version of Ms Khan’s presentation. The pictures embedded in the slides
have been deleted to reduce the size of the presentation. The original version can be sent upon
request. Most of the presentation slides consisted of a main heading and multiple pictures
without any subtext. To supplement the presentation, a detailed description of Ms Khan’s
presentation is provided below.
Telenor

Telenor Pakistan first started its disability journey through “Khuddar Pakistan”, the company’s
corporate responsibility initiative for people with disabilities launched in 2009. Realizing that
people with disabilities were often overlooked in society, Telenor decided to first learn about
disability issues by working with disabled person’s organizations.

Telenor Pakistan hired two interns, one with a visual impairment and the other with a hearing
impairment, as its first employees with disabilities. While the interns gained work experience by
rotating through various departments, the company’s non-disabled employees became exposed
to people with disabilities in a natural way. This led to various measures to sensitize nondisabled employees, including management, on disability issues through disability awareness
training.

To change the public mindset and raise awareness on people with disabilities, Telenor Pakistan
ran 52 radio programmes from August 2009 to August 2010 on the Khuddar Pakistan Radio Talk
Show. These programmes covered a broad range of topics, including basic rights of people with
disabilities, the challenges they face in society, misconceptions and examples of role models.

Ms Khan also discussed the company’s internal efforts to create an inclusive environment. For
example, the Human Resources Department specifically inserted “qualified individuals with
disabilities are welcome to apply” on job vacancy announcements. To improve the accessibility
of its existing buildings, the company conducted accessibility audits of its sales and service
centres. She also underscored that all new buildings would meet accessibility standards.

Externally, Telenor Pakistan sponsored assistive technology training labs for people with
disabilities at the National Institute of Special Education (NISE) and the Special Talent Exchange
Program (STEP). In addition, the company sponsored a number of different disability-related
events, such as the Leadership Conference for Persons with Disabilities, Khuddar Pakistan Blind
Cricket Talent Hunt and the Wheelchair Cricket Tournament. Telenor Pakistan also helped
connect national disabled person’s organizations by offering video conference and IT assistance.
Lastly, employees have been encouraged to reach out to the disability community as volunteers.
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
To conclude, Ms Khan commented that company’s marketing efforts were also evolving to
become disability inclusive. For example, Telenor Pakistan was the first company in the
Pakistan’s telecommunication industry to feature a disabled person in its public commercials.

Due to time limitation, Ms Khan was not able to show a five minute video clip on Telenor Open
Mind, a job training programme for people with disabilities run by Telenor Norway. The video is
available on ILO TV at http://www.youtube.com/ilotv.
5.7 Nokia and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Ms Nisha Nina, Head of Talent Acquisition, Nokia

Ms Nina started the presentation by explaining Nokia’s efforts to include accessibility features,
such as text-to-speech conversion, in its devices and services to promote universal access to
mobile communications for customers with disabilities. To facilitate the employment of disabled
persons, Nokia partners with organizations, such as the CII and Enable India. Nokia finds it
particularly useful to establish such partnerships because it does not have the in-house capacity
to reach out to people with disabilities. To further explain how the partnerships work, Ms Nina
introduced Mr Sebi Chacko, Convenor of the CII Disability Forum, who spoke about the services
offered by the CII.
Mr Sebi Chacko, Convenor of the CII Disability Forum, India

Attached is Mr Chacko’s presentation. A brief summary of the presentation is described below.
CII

Mr Chacko provided an overview of the CII, noting that it is an employers’ network but more
importantly an organization that brings the government, non-governmental organizations and
specialists together to discuss issues related to awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. He
introduced the CII Disability Forum, a platform created to discuss disability among member and
non-member companies, and noted that the Forum partners with educational institutions, such
as the Indian Institute of Management, to establish tailored services for students with
disabilities. The CII also published a disability manual, “A Value Route to Business Success – The
Why and How of Employing Persons with Disability”, which contains information and advice for
companies seeking to employ people with disabilities. The manual is available upon request.
The following questions and discussion points followed the presentations.

A participant asked when the question of disability should be posed to a disabled candidate or
employee. Considering that people with disabilities seek equal treatment in recruitment and at
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work, the participant noted that some however preferred to be left unidentified as a disabled
person.

Mr George agreed that people with disabilities desired to be treated as non-disabled persons.
However, he emphasized that benefits existing in disclosing one’s disability. For example, the
company can provide reasonable accommodation, which makes a difference in one’s work
performance. He further explained that Wipro distributes a confidential and voluntary selfidentification form when an employee enters the organization for purposes of meeting needs
and monitoring diversity progress.

A participant asked about how to enhance disability awareness in India.

A member of the panel answered that non-governmental organizations and the media are
actively involved in pushing disability awareness forward. Some actions taken include IT
disability conferences and bono services offered by law firms and coverage by the media.
However, the need for increased advocacy work at the national level is greater than ever.
6. Employers’ organizations and networks presentations
Chair: Mr Gotayaba Dasanayaka, Senior Specialist, Employers' Activities, ILO, New Delhi
6.1 Australian Network on Disability (AND)
Ms Suzanne Colbert, Chief Executive, AND, Australia

Ms Colbert delivered her presentation without using PowerPoint slides. A detailed description of
her presentation is provided below.

Ms Colbert introduced several figures in the beginning of her presentation. Among 22 million
Australians, 4 million are disabled and 16.6 per cent of working-age population has some type of
disability. The government assists people with disabilities to find and retain their jobs. There are
1,900 outlets that provide services to disabled persons, and the employment participation rate
is 53.5 per cent.

AND was started by a group of small business owners who had successfully employed people
with disabilities and envisioned creating a disability-confident Australia. Now, AND has
approximately 105 members of which half are from the private sector and the other half are
from the public sector. The goal of AND is to assist people with disabilities become customers
and employees. Furthermore, the services provided to its members must mutually benefit
businesses and people with disabilities.

AND provides consultancy services with respect to locating talent pool of disabled applicants,
providing guidance on reasonable accommodation and recommending specific programmes
related to disability. For example, after realizing that law students with disabilities faced
challenges in making transition from education to employment, AND partnered with law firms
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to provide them with internship opportunities. Each participating firm offers paid internships
during the winter break for four weeks. After the internship, many students have received ongoing casual employment or opportunities to work on projects. Over the years, the programme
has expanded into the banking, finance, accounting, human resources, IT, engineering and many
other disciplines. In 2010, 50 out of 120 applicants to the programme received an internship
placement with AND members.

AND also produces publications and runs training programmes for disabled persons as well as
human resources professionals. As an employers’ organization, AND lobbies the government to
create a disability-friendly environment for businesses to hire people with disabilities. For
example, AND recently succeeded in lobbying the government to provide a payroll tax
exemption for employers of people with disabilities. The exemption will apply to all new
employees who are hired after June 2011.

More information on the AND can be found at http://www.and.org.au
6.2 Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC)
Ms Meghamali Aluwihare, EFC Network on Disability, Sri Lanka

Attached is Ms Aluwihare’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
EFC

Ms Aluwihare provided an overview of the EFC’s structure and introduced how the Employers’
Network on Disability evolved from an initial small grant from the ILO. She further offered
background information on the Network’s steering committee, partnerships, constitution, and
services provided to employers.

The Network conducts job fairs and training courses for people with disabilities and also holds
disability awareness raising events. The Network collaborated with Standard Chartered Bank to
develop Barrier Free Access Handbook, a guide to provide the employment sector in Sri Lanka
with a reference for creating a barrier free environment to integrate disabled persons into the
workforce. It also holds disability awareness campaigns in newsletters and the media.

More information on the EFC can be found at www.employers.lk
6.3 Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)
Ms Tran Thi Lan Anh, General Manager, VCCI, Vietnam
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
Attached is Ms Anh’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
VCCI

Ms Anh shared several figures related to disability in Vietnam and provided an overview of the
VCCI. The VCCI raises awareness on people with disabilities among employers, creates
employment programmes, and influences companies to transform their policy and internal
structure to be disability-friendly.

She further mentioned the establishment of the Blue Ribbon Employer Council (BREC), which
was formed in 2006 through joint efforts of the VCCI and the American Chamber of Commerce,
and outlined the three purposes of the BREC and its main activities. One of its activities includes
an awards event that takes place every three years to recognize the contributions toward the
employment promotion of disabled persons made by employers, workers and nongovernmental organizations. The next event will take place in February 2011.
The following questions and discussion points followed the presentations.

A participant asked how the AND supports companies to develop an internal disability
community or a disabled employee network.

Ms Colbert answered that a survey sent out to AND members revealed people with disabilities
were less satisfied than non disabled employees with their skill development and managers, and
less positive about their professional development and opportunity for promotion. She noted a
strong network of employees with disabilities helped reverse the negative sentiments. The AND
therefore works its members to develop these networks.
7. Disability resource groups presentations
Chair, Ms Debra Perry, Senior Specialist in Disability Inclusion, ILO
7.1 Global Partnership on Disability and Development (GPDD)
Ms Indumathi Rao, Chairperson, GPDD, India

Attached is Ms Rao’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
GPDD
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
The GPDD emerged through informal discussions at the UN International Day of Disabled
Persons at the World Bank in 2002. It is a global initiative to strengthen international
cooperation to accelerate the integration of disability issues into mainstream social and
economic development efforts. Ms Rao highlighted GPDD’s unique membership structure,
consisting of governments, universities, and UN agencies that are committed to promoting
inclusion of people with disabilities in the development of low-income countries.

The organization puts special focus on capacity and awareness building and knowledge sharing.
During times of crisis, the GPDD also provides specialized support through its working groups.
For example, after the Haiti earthquake, the GPDD organized a Working Group on Haiti
Reconstruction that continues to promote the involvement of people with disabilities during all
stages reconstruction and the accessibility of infrastructure. The GPDD also publishes
newsletters, participates in advocacy events, and holds electronic discussion forums.

Ms Rao also introduced her full-time role as the Regional Advisor in South Asia of the
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Network, an international non-governmental
organization networking all organizations active in the field of CBR in eight South Asian countries.

More information on the GPDD can be found at http://www.gpdd-online.org
7.2 Disabled People’s International Asia Pacific (DPIAP)
Ms Saowalak Thongkuay, Regional Development Officer, DPIA, Thailand

Attached is Ms Thongkuay’s presentation in its entirety. A brief summary of the presentation is
described below.
DPIAP

Ms Thongkuay started off her presentation by explaining the effect of the UN Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Thailand and its possible impact on the tourism
industry. Much of her presentation addressed the business opportunity that can result from
considering accessible tourism. With an aging population, which can mean an increased
incidence of disability among travelers in that age cohort, as well as the increased economic
empowerment among many disabled persons, the tourism business needs to adjust and take
advantage of the market presented by disabled and older disabled persons.

She noted that disabled peoples’ organizations can provide consulting services to assist hotels
and others in the industry to tap this market and gave examples for her organization’s work in
Thailand. She also mentioned how businesses can promote employment opportunities for
people with disabilities and shared several key documents related to disability and employment.
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
More information on the DPIAP can be found at http://www.dpiap.org
7.3 National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
Mr Javed Abidi, Executive Director, NCPEDP, India

Mr Abidi delivered his presentation without using PowerPoint slides. A detailed description of
the presentation is provided below.

Mr Abidi found it heartwarming to see the various initiatives and actions taken by employers to
promote disability inclusion. He praised the participants for doing much more than others, but
expressed the need for stronger leadership to create a more inclusive society.

He provided an overview of the quota system in India. Established in 1995, the quota system
calls for a three per cent reservation for disabled persons in government jobs and offered an
incentive to private sector companies if more than five per cent of their total workforce
consisted ofdisabled persons. However, a survey conducted by the NCPEDP reflected that
disabled persons represent only 0.5 per cent, 0.2 per cent, and 0.05 per cent of the total work
force in the public sector, private sector, and among multinational companies, respectively. He
stressed that very few multinationals have crossed the one per cent mark of hiring people with
disabilities.

Mr Abidi noted the absence of accessible transportation and infrastructure as the biggest
challenges of hiring people with disabilities, not the lack of qualified and skilled people with
disabilities. Also, some companies seek to hire people with minimal disabilities, i.e. they hire
people with low vision but not with total blindness.

A proportion of the presentation focused on the significance of providing access to education
for people with disabilities to increase their employability. Mr Abidi mentioned that large
educational institutions are unwelcoming of students with disabilities. Often, there is an
absolute lack of facilities available for them, he said. For example, books are not available in
Braille for blind students who want them and buildings are not accessible for students in
wheelchairs. He also stated that while increased funds have been supplied to improve the
education situation in rural India, people with disabilities have been generally left out as a
beneficiary.

Mr Abidi concluded his presentation by urging Network members to look deeper at the barriers
faced by people with disabilities.
The following questions and discussion points followed the presentations.

A participant asked if special schools or colleges could be a solution to increasing educational
opportunities for disabled persons.
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
The panel replied that the availability of special schools was limited to big cities. The eventual
mainstreaming students with disabilities, which is the primary goal, would become even more
difficult under such a dual system. The panel underscored that special schools would ultimately
separate and marginalize students with disabilities.

Another question was raised about helping family members of people with disabilities instead of
the disabled person directly.

The ILO official noted that disability and poverty are often linked, meaning a family with a
disabled member is more likely to be poor and helping the family may increase income for all
members. However, the rights of the disabled person to participate should not be overlooked or
substituted by helping a family member. It was also mentioned that family members may
sometimes be discriminated by people who are over-concerned about them missing work or
being less productive due to being in a family with a disabled member.

Ms Bhambani, Global Head of CSR at MphasiS, answered that MphasiS established a sabbatical
programme for its employees who need to take care of aging parents or disabled children.
8. Survey Findings
Mr Henrik Moller, Senior Advisor, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, ILO

Mr Moller explained that the ILO sent out a survey in September 2010 to the Network members
for the purpose of understanding their expectations of the Network. The responses from some
20 members helped ILO officials develop the meeting agenda.

Mr Moller further summarized the key findings of the survey. For example, in response to the
high interest in knowledge sharing, presentation sessions were included in the programme. He
also noted the Network’s knowledge sharing activities thus far, such as the publication of
Disability in the Workplace: Company Practices (ILO, 2010) and ILO-TV, where corporate videos
on disability issues can be viewed.

To conclude, Mr Moller noted that the Network’s Paris and New York meeting had both been
similar in structure. However, the Bangalore meeting had more employers’ organizations and
networks represented.
9. Roundtable discussions
Chair: Ms Debra Perry, Senior Specialist in Disability Inclusion, ILO
The ILO divided the participants into groups and arranged five parallel roundtable discussions to
brainstorm the Network’s activities in the following areas: Operational procedures, funding,
communication methods, projects and services, and the engagement with employers’ networks on
disability. Due to the early departure of several participants, 36 people remained for the roundtable
discussions. Participants voluntarily joined a group that addressed an area of their interest. However,
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the ILO encouraged representatives of employers’ organizations or networks to join the last group. The
ILO distributed a two-page guideline containing four to five questions of each topic to facilitate the
discussion (Annex 5). Afterwards, each group reported its findings and other participants had the
opportunity to provide further comments or ask questions.
9.1 Group 1: Operational Procedures
Group 1 reviewed the draft operational procedures (Annex 5) provided by the ILO. Group 1 reported the
following:
 In terms of membership and conditions, governments have been excluded. Without the
government’s participation, it will be challenging to move in rapid and inclusive scale. The
Network should also invite national companies, including national companies without an
international focus, as members.
 With regard to the Network’s objectives and activities, CSR and disability should be separated
out. It will be difficult to promote disability to businesses when combined with CSR. Also, the
UNCRPD should be specifically mentioned in the objective as a guiding force. Additionally, the
Network should address the notion of developing education, transport, town planning and
healthcare for people with disabilities as part of its activities.
 Considering the administrative structure, the steering committee should have two
representatives from disabled person’s organizations. Additionally, as a global network, 2/3 of
the members should represent the developing world and 1/3 should represent the developed
world. It will also be critical to include women and people with disabilities in the steering
committee.
 For meetings, an annual assembly will be needed.
9.2 Group 2: Funding
Group 2 explored funding possibilities for the Network. Group 2 reported the following:
 In order to search for funding opportunities, it is critical to define the Network’s membership
conditions. The Network should include employers, employer organizations and networks, and
non-governmental organizations as members.
 To secure funding, the Network can offer a broad range of products and services to its members.
Some examples include providing consultancy services, sharing resources and knowledge,
offering legal advice, documenting best practices, building and developing skills and
competency-based frameworks, and lobbying for policy implementation with governments.
15
 Funds can be sourced through member contributions, member resources or services, placement
charges, consultancy charges, voluntary grants and donations, and sponsorships. The Network
will require three years to fully mature and to be self-sustained.
The following questions and discussion points followed the reporting.

A participant recommended that the membership fee should be nominal in order to include
small and medium sized companies and smaller organizations. The membership due could be
based on the size, sales, or profit turnover of the organization. In addition, the Network could
raise funds on a voluntary basis.

Another participant suggested lobbying for a disability budget from the government, explaining
that companies in India allocate two per cent of their total budget to CSR.

Other discussions that emerged from the discussions were commented at the end, such as the
inclusion of governments as members.
9.3 Group 3: Communication methods
Group 3 discussed methods of communications for the Network. Group 3 reported the following:

The Network’s communication can be started by publishing newsletters and e-newsletters.
Social networking sites, such as Linkedin and Facebook, can provide members an opportunity to
network with each other on a regular basis. The Network can also consider building private
online communities through Yahoo! or Google groups. In addition to the online communication
methods discussed above, it will be critical to meet on a face-to-face level as frequently as
possible.

Depending on a company’s nature or capacity, members can contribute to facilitating the
communication for the Network. For example, companies can host webinars, provide
teleconference platforms or offer venues for global meetings.

With regard to holding meetings, the Network should organize one global meeting per year.
Additionally, smaller meetings can be arranged at the grass root level. For example, the Network
can establish city chapters, which could be further expanded into zonal chapters and national
and regional chapters.
The following questions and discussion points followed the reporting.

A regional ILO representative noted that the ILO had an online discussion forum in the Asia
Pacific where specific issues could be addressed. The forum could work as an entry point for
Network members to discuss concrete issues.
16

A participant suggested that the Network could designate a celebrity figure as an ambassador to
promote disability inclusion.
9.4 Group 4: Future activities
Group 4 discussed the types of future projects and activities Network members could participate in.
Group 4 reported the following:

It will be critical to share and leverage best practices among Network members.

The Network should expand its membership to include employers of middle and large
enterprises; companies from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America; and companies from
more diverse sectors. In addition, synergies can be created by connecting like-minded
companies or companies from the same industry.

To build greater awareness and visibility on disability issues, it will be critical to receive highlevel support from business leaders. Holding a CEO breakfast or CEO forum are ways to
effectively raise awareness on the topic.

The ILO should reach out to local industry bodies, such as the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), to have local
businesses engaged in the initiative.

Finally, the Network can develop toolkits, design training methodologies for people with
disabilities, and support specialized training organizations.
9.5 Group 5: Engagement with employers’ organizations and networks on disability
Group 5 discussed how employers' organizations could support the Network. Group 5 reported the
following:

The Network can assist the work of employers’ organizations/networks by creating disability
awareness and sharing global best practices and tools. Developing a global knowledge
repository on disability-related legislation would be useful as well. Furthermore, the Network
can collaborate with governments to build tax concessions for companies that hire people with
disabilities.

To support the Network, employers’ organizations/networks can share data and success stories
and expertise. They can also support outreach programmes and help organize seminars.

Employers’ organizations/networks serve their members on disability issues by supporting the
systematic growth of employers through lobbying governments, marketing member growth via
customized support, and establishing funds to provide greater support.
17

To launch a successful initiative, it will be crucial to have a substantial group of committed
employers and a well-defined notion of success and its parameters.
The following questions and discussion points followed the reporting.

A participant noted the possibility of establishing an accreditation system, which would provide
an incentive for companies to exercise more inclusive practices and to be a member of the
Network.

The ILO responded that it faces several constraints in developing an accreditation system since it
already has official standards and monitoring accreditation would be difficult. The Network
would have to look into alternative options to encourage inclusion.

The issue of inviting government participation into the Network was again raised by an
employers’ representative and a discussion ensued.

The ILO suggested that many discussions have been held around this issue, both within the ILO
and among Network members at other meetings. Considering that the Network is a global
assembly with a focus on business, it was decided not to include governments and that
government participation could change the dynamics of the Network. Further, the ILO national
employers’ organizations work with individual and nationally-based companies as well as their
respective governments and the global Network should not subsume their role at the country
level.
10. Next steps
The final plenary session provided an opportunity to summarize the issues and ideas that had surfaced
throughout the day. The ILO discussed with participants the following next steps to develop the Network.

A first activity would be to analyze all the inputs from participants of the three inaugural
planning meetings and incorporate their ideas into the next steps.

Regarding knowledge sharing, a meeting proceeding would be developed and sent out to all
participants. Additionally, a second publication similar to Disability in the Workplace: Company
Practices (ILO, 2010) would be published later this year. It would address the structure and
disability activities of employers’ organizations and business networks. The ILO would also
continue to collect corporate videos on disability issues to upload on the ILO-TV section.

Upon completing the legal transfer of the Network's anticipated
(www.businessanddisability.org), the ILO would proceed with developing the web site.

With regard to structure, the ILO would put together, based on interest and other factors, the
steering committee. Additionally, the operational procedures and membership agreement
would be finalized.
18
URL

The ILO would continue to attract new members and expand the Network into Latin America
and Africa as a long-term goal.

The ILO would facilitate linkages among companies to respond to requests it received through
the Network.

To sustain the Network and its activities, the ILO was in the process of developing a proposal to
seek donor funding from a foundation or other sources and explore other funding methods.

Finally, a formal launch of the Network would occur later this year.
11. Closing remarks
Chair: Ms Debra Perry, Senior Specialist in Disability Inclusion, ILO
 In her closing comment, Ms Perry mentioned that the ILO would send out preliminary findings
of the Bangalore meeting and a final meeting proceeding in the following weeks. She also stated
that an evaluation of the meeting would be sent through Survey Monkey.

Ms Perry thanked Wipro for hosting the meeting and thanked the participants for attending and
contributing to the Network’s development. She also expressed thanks to Ms Deborah FranceMassin, Mr Henrik Moller, and Ms Jae-Hee Chang for their support and joint effort to organize
the event and the overall Network.
19
ILO Global Business and Disability Network
Site Visit: Yahoo!
16 February, 2011
14:00-17:00
Summary Notes
1. Background Information and programme
The ILO organized a site visit to Yahoo! as a side event of the ILO Global Business and Disability
Network’s third inaugural planning meeting in Bangalore. The half-day visit was led by Mr Srinivasu
Chakravarthula, Accessibility Manager, and Mr Sandeep Datar, Director of User Experience Design, the
day before the inaugural planning meeting. During the visit, participants learned about Yahoo!’s journey
towards Web accessibility, workplace accommodations provided for employees with disabilities, and the
World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative. Participants also had the opportunity to visit
Yahoo!’s Accessibility Lab that allows the company’s engineers and designers to understand how people
with disabilities use personal computers and access the Internet.
For the agenda, please see Annex 6.
2. Participants
Seventeen participants, including five ILO staff, attended the site visit.
3. Introduction to Yahoo!’s accessibility journey
Mr Sandeep Datar, Director of User Experience Design, Yahoo!

After welcoming the participants to Yahoo!, Mr Datar gave a brief introduction on the company’s
journey towards Web accessibility. Yahoo! had a vision of including everyone – disabled and nondisabled – as users of its search engine. The company also realized that it made good business
sense to expand its customer-base by making its web site accessible to everyone. Lastly, Yahoo!
approached accessibility from a CSR perspective to reduce the digital divide between disabled and
non-disabled users.

Mr Datar further mentioned that among 65 million Internet users in India, Yahoo! serves 30 to 40
million people. In terms of making the Web accessible for people with disabilities, Yahoo! looked
at a segment of 10 million people.
4. Accessibility at Yahoo! and the W3C
Mr Srinivasu Chakravarthula, Accessibility Manager, Yahoo!
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
Mr Chakravarthula stated that Yahoo!’s mission is to connect people to knowledge through an
inclusive environment. By making the Web accessible, Yahoo! aims to cater the needs of people
with disabilities as well as other populations, such as elderly persons.

He explained that it does not take special effort to make a web site accessible. If Web
developers use the best coding practices, such as using proper headers and labels, and
accessibility tags to enable screen reading and keyboard control, sites will be accessible to
anyone from any device. He asked if any of the participants added text descriptions to a picture
inserted in a Word file, and underscored that a simple description would enable blind users to
appreciate the content of the picture using their screen reader to access the description.

Yahoo! established its first Accessibility Lab in 2005 in Sunnyvale, California. Following
Sunnyvale’s success, the company opened its second lab in Bangalore in 2009. The Accessibility
Lab is a unique place at Yahoo! where any employee can come to learn about and try various
assistive technology devices or accessibility software that are commonly used by people with
physical, visual, and sensory disabilities. Through lab tours and other activities, production
management, developer and design teams immerse themselves into the world of disabilities,
which helps those teams to better understand the importance of accessibility when developing
products. The Lab also tests the accessibility of all products for Yahoo! along with its partner
organizations, such as Enable India and National Association for the Blind. In addition, the Lab
provides a two-hour training programme on accessibility for all new hires at Yahoo! and works
with external organizations to raise public awareness around accessibility issues.

In terms of workplace solutions, Mr Chakravarthula shared some of his personal experiences as
a visually-impaired employee. Upon arriving to Yahoo!, he experienced great difficulties reading
menus displayed in the cafeteria and names of different conference rooms because the texts
were in light coloured print. After he submitted a report to the human resources and facilities
team, Yahoo! changed all labels into dark font with light coloured background. He also
encountered problems when reading emails sent by his colleagues because they were imagebased, which could not be picked-up by screen readers. Upon receiving Mr Chakravarthula’s
report, Yahoo!’s email server was adjusted to send out emails in HTML text based format.

Mr Chakravarthula commented on his role as a member of the World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) India’s National Advisory Board. He noted that the W3C develops protocols and
guidelines related to accessibility, internationalization, mobile web, and HTML. In December
2010, Yahoo! India and the W3C India jointly hosted a conference on Web accessibility to
provide its participants with an understanding on the needs of people with disabilities using the
Internet and discuss implementation issues.
5. Discussion points

An ILO representative asked if Yahoo! had a centralized fund to provide reasonable
accommodation for its employees with disabilities. Some companies used a centralized
21
reasonable accommodation fund to allow managers to hire disabled persons without facing a
disincentive of having costs of accommodation charged to their department budgets.

Mr Chakravarthula answered that Yahoo! does not have a specific fund set-up to provide
reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. Although the cost to provide
reasonable accommodation is taken out from a manager's budget, he underscored that any
accommodation requested by a disabled employee has never been denied. He also mentioned
that software-related expenses are charged to the IT budget.

In terms of available software for blind or visually-impaired people, Mr Chakravarthula noted
that a new speaking software called Nonvisual Destop Access (NVDA) has advantages over JAWS.
It is a free and open source screen reader that runs under the Windows operating system and
can be downloaded from http://www.nvda-project.org.

A participant asked how companies manage to make their corporate cultures more inclusive.

Another participant replied that disability sensitization workshops held at the senior
management level have helped create greater awareness around disability issues. The
respondent’s company also offers a sign language classes for its employees to alleviate
communication barriers between Deaf and hearing individuals. The participant also added that
there has been a common request from many corporate representatives to hold a workshop on
Web accessibility in Bangalore and thanked the ILO for initiating the meeting.

Yahoo! was also questioned about its hiring practices with regard to people with disabilities.
Both Mr Chakravarthula and Mr Datar responded that Yahoo! does not have a special hiring
programme but does not discriminate and provides reasonable accommodation illustrated by
Mr Chakravarthula.
6. Yahoo! Accessibility Lab

Mr Chakravarthula divided the participants into two groups to provide a tour of Yahoo!’s
Accessibility Lab. In the Lab, he demonstrated how various devices were used to assist a broad
range of people with disabilities. For example, he showed how a screen reader could assist blind
or visually impaired users. He also introduced how people with no fingers could use a track ball
mouse as an alternative input device and how a refreshable Braille display could help deaf-blind
individuals read text on the computer screen.
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ILO Global Business and Disability Network
Site Visit: Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B)
Office of Disability Services
18 February, 2011
10:00-12:00
Summary Notes
1. Background information and programme
The ILO organized a second site visit to IIM-B as a side event of the ILO Global Business and Disability
Network’s third inaugural planning meeting in Bangalore. The half-day visit was led by Professor
Rishikesha Krishnan, Chairperson of Office of Disability Services (ODS), and Ms Meenu Bhambhani, Head
of Corporate Social Responsibility at MphasiS and took place on the day after the one-day inaugural
planning meeting. During the visit, participants learned about MphasiS’ role in establishing the ODS and
about the support services provided to students with disabilities. Additionally, the visit provided an
opportunity for the participants to meet students with disabilities and a disabled employee from IBM to
hear about their experiences while attending the IIM-B and working at IBM. Lively discussion about peer
counseling, independent living and other issues were made possible by the open discussion time
available.
For the agenda, please see Annex 7.
2. Handouts
The IIM-B distributed a document on IIM-B’s policy statement regarding students with disabilities and an
article written by Professor Krishnan on “Supporting Students with Disability”.
For meeting handouts, please see Annex 8.
3. Participants
Twenty-one participants, including five ILO staff, attended the site visit. In addition to the participants,
five IIM-B students were present in the meeting and provided valuable inputs.
4. Establishing the ODS
Ms Meenu Bhambhani, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, MphasiS

After welcoming the participants to the IIM-B, Ms Bhambhani shared her experience as a
graduate student of the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC). While attending the UIC, Ms
Bhambhani benefited from services offered by the school’s Student Disability Services, which
supported disabled students in terms of providing reasonable accommodation and academic
support, and facilitating the full participation of students with disabilities in the campus life. She
23
realized a support system made a real difference for a disabled student. Looking back on her
past educational experience in India, she had received no such support.

Upon returning to India, Ms Bhambhani started her career with MphasiS. Her specific
responsibilities, apart from leading the Corporate Social Responsibility programme, included
leading MphasiS’ diversity initiatives with a special focus on disability. By collaborating with
various non-governmental organizations, she was able to significantly increase the number of
disabled employees at MphasiS. However, it was a challenge to identify qualified students with
disabilities from mainstream institutions. Recognizing that the lack of training facilities at
educational institutions in India was hindering the employment of people with disabilities,
MphasiS decided to join hands with IIM-B to establish the ODS.
5. IIM-B’s disability journey and services provided by the ODS
Professor Rishikesha Krishnan, Chairperson of Office of Disability Services (ODS), IIM-B
 Professor Krishnan provided a brief introduction on India’s education system and the IIM-B. He
noted that the IIM-B started admitting students with disabilities ten years ago when a three
percent reservation for disabled students was enforced. Since then, every year, the IIM-B has
been admitting on average of ten students with disabilities, who are either visually challenged
or hearing impaired or have a mobility impairment.
 He continued by explaining that the extent of disability among admitted students varies
extensively. Generally, 70 per cent of the students can manage on their own while the other 30
per cent require some accommodation or support. With the growing number of disabled
students, the IIM-B felt a need to organize a systematic system that could assist the students.
 While attending a disability forum organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Professor
Krishnan met Ms Bhambhani, who talked about her experience at UIC. The IIM-B decided to
replicate the student disability service of the UIC by establishing the ODS.
 In January 2010, the IIM-B officially launched the ODS. Some of the primary responsibilities of
the ODS include assessing students’ needs when entering the Institute, taking proactive steps
to provide academic materials in formats suitable to the students' needs, offering readers and
other support volunteers, and providing other accommodation in classrooms. Furthermore, the
ODS works to influence companies to recruit students with disabilities.
 Professor Krishnan introduced five students with disabilities attending the IIM-B. The students
explained that they were well supported by the entire student community of IIM-B including
the Vikasana Club, a student club focused on socially responsible activities. The Club helped
them adjust to campus life by providing a buddy system, which matches one non-disabled
student to one disabled student.
24
 Professor Krishnan also shared that he is persuading other IIMs in India to establish an office for
disabled students. He noted that three other institutions are interested in building such office.
 To conclude the site visit, the participants had the opportunity to visit the ODS. A disabled
student demonstrated how he uses an assistive device to read handouts and textbooks.
6. Discussion points

Lively discussions took place during the meeting. Among the participants, Ms Dipshikha Basu,
Senior Information Development Manager, IBM, shared her experience as a wheelchair user in
India and the educational and professional challenges she had faced. Throughout her student
life, she was the only student with a disability in all the schools she had attended and the
absence of peer support became frustrating at times. At work, disability status could interfere
with team work due to misconceptions about disability, sometimes leaving disabled employees
to pursue a slower career track than non-disabled employees.

Professor Krishnan asked if the group had any ideas about how to strengthen the confidence of
students with disabilities finding many lacked confidence as compared to the general student
population. He has offered counseling to students, but some do not wish the service.

Ms Debra Perry from the ILO responded that this is an issue as many people with disabilities
may have been more socially isolated than nondisabled persons and some programmes serving
and including disabled persons use various methods to help boost confidence. Some private
sector companies use coaches and mentors for both disabled and nondisabled persons who
wish them; some training programmes have added a confidence building class prior to
vocational training and role models or peer counselors can be used, if the student with a
disability wishes such a service. A fairly long discussion about peer counseling which emerged
out of the independent living movement ensued. The representative from DPIAP provided an
excellent explanation of the concept and how it works, noting that people with disabilities are
matched to trained peer counselors who have a similar disability. Further, she mentioned that
the peer counseling approach is well developed as part of the independent living movement, an
approach which is not yet established in India.
25
Annexes

Annex 1: Agenda
Agenda

Annex 2: Pre-meeting materials distribution
Invitation

Venue and
accommodation
Registration form
Discussion note
Annex 3: Participant list
Participants

Annex 4: Survey results
Survey results

Annex 5: Roundtable instructions and draft operational procedures
Roundtable
instructions

Operational
procedures
Annex 6: Agenda
Agenda_Yahoo
 Annex 7: Agenda
Agenda_IIMB
26
 Annex 8: Handouts
IIMB Policy
Statement.pdf
Article
27