Global Corporations Commit to Disability-Inclusive Practices

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Global Business and Disability Network has introduced a groundbreaking guide to drive disability inclusion in corporate sustainability strategies. Titled “Putting the I in ESG: Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Sustainability Practices as Strategic Advantage for Corporates and Investors,” the guide offers actionable frameworks and metrics to integrate disability inclusion into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.

The guide focuses on 10 key areas, each supported by two to eight Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These KPIs provide companies with concrete tools to set targets, track progress, and address gaps in disability inclusion. The document’s alignment with established frameworks ensures consistent and comparable metrics across industries. By embedding these standards into sustainability practices, the guide enables businesses to enhance their ESG reporting while driving meaningful outcomes.

This initiative gained further momentum during the ILO Network’s “From Margin to Mainstream: Disability in Business” conference, where senior executives from leading global corporations signed the Business Leaders’ Pledge on Disability-Inclusive Sustainability Practices. Executives from Accenture, AXA, Capgemini, Egis, Salesforce, and Sanofi committed to making disability inclusion a cornerstone of their sustainability efforts. Their pledge underscores the growing recognition of disability inclusion as a critical component of ESG strategies and corporate governance.

By leveraging the ILO’s guide, these companies and others are positioned to promote disability-inclusive economies while advancing their sustainability goals. The framework’s emphasis on actionable metrics offers a clear pathway for businesses to measure progress and demonstrate the value of inclusion, aligning social responsibility with long-term success.

According to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, 5.7% of the Mexican population lives with a disability. Mobility challenges are the most frequently reported issue within this group, underscoring the critical need for policies that foster inclusion not just in the workplace but across all aspects of daily life, as reported by Teletón.

Article 123 of Mexico’s Constitution guarantees the right to dignified and socially beneficial work for all individuals, as reported by Mexico’s Government. Similarly, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which Mexico is a signatory, establishes in Article 27 that people with disabilities have the right to work on equal terms. This includes the opportunity to freely choose employment and earn a living in an open, inclusive, and accessible work environment.