Business, disability network for inclusive workplace

A new business network is set to support the practical needs of employers who are employing people with disabilities or are willing to make their workplaces more disability inclusive, reports UNB.
The network, which operates under the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), was officially launched by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 11.
The BEF and the Canadian-funded Bangladesh Skills for Employment and Produc-tivity (B-SEP) Project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) hosted a workshop in the capital yesterday  at the conference hall of Bangladesh Employers’ Federation in the city.
At the workshop, the Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) was introduced to employers who are currently employing or willing to employ persons with disabilities.
By doing so it helped highlight the social and economic benefits of disability inclusive industries for promoting growth and productivity, according 
to ILO.
The BBDN is a voluntary group of representatives from business, non-governmental and disabled peoples’ organisations with a primary purpose of helping people with disabilities to find decent work and for employers to recruit staff with disabilities.
Speaking at the event, BEF President Salahuddin Kasem Khan said staff with disabilities bring skills and diversity to workplace and hiring them helps foster greater social inclusion and above all, makes good business sense.
Participants at the workshop heard how the BBDN could help their companies better accommodate existing workers with disabilities.
BBDN can also provide practical advice to organisations wishing to start making their workforce more disability inclusive, said the ILO press release.
It will assist companies to adhere to international and national labour standards related to disability and provide advice on inclusion of disability issues into corporate policies and CSR programmes.
Linkages will also be forged among companies, non-governmental organisations, governments, employers’ organizations, disabled people’ s organisations and international agencies to facilitate BBDN objectives at national level, said the press release.
The BBDN is based on ILO’s Global Business Disability Network which was formed in 2010 to encourage greater disability inclusion in the workforce.

 

Business, disability network for inclusive workplace

A new business network is set to support the practical needs of employers who are employing people with disabilities or are willing to make their workplacesmore disability inclusive, reports UNB. The network, which operates under the Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF), was officially launched by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 11. The BEF and the Canadian-funded Bangladesh Skills for Employment and Produc-tivity (B-SEP) Project ofthe International Labour Organization (ILO) hosted a workshop in the capital yesterday at the conference hall of Bangladesh Employers Federation in the city. At the workshop, the Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) was introduced to employers who are currently employing or willing to employ persons with disabilities. By doing so it helpedhighlight the social and economic benefits of disability inclusive industries for promoting growth and productivity, according to ILO. The BBDN is a voluntary group of representatives from business, non-governmental and disabled peoples organisations with a primary purpose of helping people with disabilities to find decent work and for employers to recruit staff with disabilities. Speaking at the event, BEF President Salahuddin Kasem Khan said staff with disabilities bring skills and diversity to workplace and hiring them helps foster greater social inclusion and above all, makes good business sense. Participants at the workshop heard how the BBDN could help their companies better accommodate existing workers with disabilities. BBDN can also provide practical advice to organisations wishing to start making their workforce more disability inclusive, said the ILO press release. It will assist companies to adhere to international and national labour standards related to disability and provide advice on inclusion of disability issues into corporate policies and CSR programmes. Linkages will also be forged among companies, non-governmental organisations, governments, employers organizations, disabled people s organisations and international agencies to facilitate BBDN objectivesat national level, said the press release. The BBDN is based on ILOs Global Business Disability Network which was formed in 2010 to encourage greater disability inclusion in the workforce.