The Challenge Presented by CareER’s ‘Disability Inclusion Index’
Asking Not ‘Have You Hired?’ but ‘Are You Prepared to Hire?’
[Social Focus Reporter Oh Chang-seok] = Introducing best practices from the international initiative ‘Zero Project’, which aims to advance the rights of persons with disabilities. Through creative and diverse disability-related projects underway worldwide, we seek to provide an opportunity for our society to reflect on understanding disability and related systems.
An experiment by a Hong Kong-based disability self-advocacy group is pointing the way toward new approaches to employment for highly educated persons with disabilities. The ‘Disability Inclusion Index (DII)’ developed by CareER Association Ltd. is an evaluation metric for corporate inclusivity towards persons with disabilities. It focuses not merely on expanding employment but on transforming internal corporate structures and cultures. Recognized for its innovation and effectiveness, this project was selected as an international award-winning case by the Zero Project and is drawing attention from diverse institutions and policymakers worldwide.
CareER is a disability self-advocacy organization formed primarily by young people with disabilities who have completed higher education in Hong Kong. Recognizing the reality that many young people face difficulties entering society despite having degrees and capabilities, and driven by the awareness that a more structural approach is needed, they devised the DII. The core principle is the recognition that ‘inclusivity is not a declaration, but a structure.’ This stems from the judgment that it is not merely about increasing hiring numbers, but about examining and changing the conditions and culture within companies that enable hiring.
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CareER is also pursuing collaborations to expand this metric beyond Hong Kong to other Asian countries. Pilot applications have been attempted with some companies in India and Singapore, and versions adaptable to diverse cultural and institutional contexts are being developed. Discussions are also underway to link DII with public policy through partnerships with governments, academia, and disability organizations.
‘You can’t change what you can’t measure’
CareER’s DII has provided concrete standards and methods for the discourse on inclusive hiring, which had previously relied on vague intentions. It clearly demonstrates what is needed for highly educated individuals with disabilities to move beyond mere potential and become substantive members of society. This experiment, which goes beyond hiring a single person to transform numerous companies and structures, is now preparing to extend to other regions.
*Please note this is a Korean article
Source: Socialfocus
