International Day of People with Disabilities – How Can FMs Get Involved?

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03 December 2021

On The UN International Day of People with Disabilities, how can FMs use their influence to promote the rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities?

More than one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world's population, live with some form of disability. Facilities and workplace managers have huge influence in creating an inclusive working world for employees and visitors with disabilities. As their role involves contact with such a wide breadth of people, from stakeholders, supply chain, employees and clients, FMs are also best placed to be visible and vocal allies to people with disabilities.

Let’s take a look at what resources are available for facilities managers in this area:

Watch the Video

Reducing Inequalities Through Technologies: A Perspective on Disability Inclusive Development

A virtual event, co-organised by United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the International Telecommunications Union, will share insights on how assistive technology can and should complement universal design.

Ranging from simple devices to more complex technologies such as assistive robots or gesture or emotion recognition software, assistive technologies are not just game-changers for persons with disabilities but, with an increasingly ageing population, many older persons can also benefit.

The event aims to promote understanding of the workings of the assistive technologies industry and select initiatives by members of the UN family.

The event will be broadcast on December 3, 2021 - 8:00 to 9:30 am NY Time (GMT-5) and a recording will be available afterwards.

Championing Disability Employee Resource Groups

Many large companies will have a company disability-focused ERG group, to develop effective strategies and tools to enable its members to bring their whole selves to work.

For SMEs, self-employed people, or anyone looking to set up a disability ERG, PurpleSpace will publish a series of global conversations between CEOs and employees with disabilities.

“Leader to Leader” was inspired by a conversation we recorded between Alia Cooper (global co-chair of the Ability ERG) and Ian Stuart (UK CEO) from HSBC, and you can check out a short snippet here.

PurpleSpace, the world's only professional development hub for disability network leaders, is inviting every organisation with a disability ERG to record conversations between network leaders and CEOs.

Pictyre: a photograph of PurpleSpace and PurpleLightUp logos 

Joining the “Leader to Leader” conversation provides organisations from across the public, private and NGO sectors with the perfect platform to celebrate the economic contribution of employees with disabilities and shine a light on the work of those who are making the most extraordinary contribution to cultural change, the disability ERG/Network leaders.

These videos will provide insights into why learning directly from employees with disabilities is such a powerful vehicle for cultural change.

Look out for #PurpleLightUp and #L2L on social media on December 3.

Picture: a photograph of three people seated in a meeting. One of the people is using a mobility scooter. Image Credit: Disability In

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 03 December 2021

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