CII-IBDN National Conference on Accelerating Disability Inclusion

CII Launches the CII Awards for Excellence in Disability Inclusion at the CII-IBDN National Conference on Accelerating Disability Inclusion

“As a society, we need to assess how accessible our spaces are for persons with disabilities. With advancements in technology and AI, it has become easier to provide them with the access and opportunities they deserve. The potential of assistive technology is immense, but its success depends on societal acceptance and providing equitable education and opportunities,” said Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India. He was addressing the CII-IBDN National Conference on Accelerating Disability Inclusion, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi today. The Conference is supported by Embassy REIT, Spark Minda and J.P. Morgan with IDEA as the Institutional Partner. With ‘Future-Proofing Industry: Enabling Accessibility for All’ as the Theme, the Conference brought together leading experts, practitioners, and advocates of disability inclusion and assistive technology to deliberate on strategies to promote accessibility and inclusion across Indian industry.

Highlighting the role of industries in advancing accessibility, Mr. Aggarwal said, “Given a fair chance, persons with disabilities can excel as employees, not as a means to tick off diversity columns, but as valuable contributors. Inclusion should not be viewed as charity. Instead, when treated as a sound business decision, it becomes a sustainable strategy that benefits both organizations and society at large."

Mr Prabhakar Varadarajan, Founding Member, CII-India Business and Disability Network and Acting Managing Director & COO, ANZ Group Capability Centre Bengaluru said, “Inclusion of persons with disabilities is a priority, as they represent the largest minority group and are key stakeholders as well as equal contributors to society. Companies that have tapped into this talent pool have significantly benefited, proving that inclusion drives innovation and growth."

Speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Leadership for Inclusion: How to Champion Accessibility Initiatives’, Mr Parag Pande, Managing Director & Global Lead for HR Operations at Accenture, emphasized that Persons with Disabilities represent a valuable source of leadership and innovation, and organizations must invest in supporting them with both thought leadership and resources.

A key highlight at the Conference was the launch of the CII Award for Excellence in Disability Inclusion (AEDI), which will recognise and celebrate companies championing disability inclusion while also inspire other companies to advance this agenda.

To help companies accelerate disability inclusion, a CII-IBDN Accessibility Guidance Document titled ‘Blueprint for Disability Inclusion: Ten-Fold Path to Accessibility @ Workplace’ was unveiled at the Conference. This guide provides practical strategies for businesses, especially for Diversity and Inclusion professionals, Human Resources teams, facility managers and IT departments to create an accessible and inclusive work environment.

Entrepreneurs with Disabilities were given a platform to present their ideas and products at a Pitch Marathon hosted by IDEA and an exhibition was also organized alongside the Conference, showcasing innovative products, technologies, and initiatives by startups and organizations focused on accessibility and disability inclusion.

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About India Business and Disability Network (IBDN)

The IBDN is a National Business and Disability Network created in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Employers' Federation of India to promote and enable an inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free workplace in the corporate sector (EFI). IBDN is a one-stop solution for sharing information and best practices, developing context-based solutions, facilitating collaborations, and enabling inclusion. 

About the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.

CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, with around 9,000 members from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 365,000 enterprises from 294 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.

With 70 offices, including 12 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with about 300 counterpart organizations in almost 100 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.

For more information, please contact:

Sarbani Chakravarty at Sarbani.chakravarty@cii.in

18 December 2024

New Delhi