Co-funded by the European Social Fund within the Spanish Operational Programme “Fight Against Discrimination 2007-2013” Disability in Sustainability Reporting 2 DISABILITY IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING This guide also showcases a number of case studies from organizations that have Michael Meehan recognized the business value of disability by Chief Executive, GRI creating inclusive workplaces, and developing new products, services and environments. People with disabilities constitute the world’s We hope that these will serve as source of largest minority. Yet, to a great extent, they inspiration and discussion among businesses still remain marginalized in our societies. and stakeholders. People with disabilities are, or could be, GRI highly values Fundación ONCE’s long­ your organization’s employees, consumers, standing contribution to realizing the rights of business partners or members of your local people with disabilities in all spheres, public community. It is important, therefore, that and private, and looks forward to working your organization recognizes how it impacts together to promote this guide as a key these people’s rights through its operations, reporting tool. products, services and business relationships. Disability will be considered by GRI’s GRI has developed this guide in collaboration governance bodies for inclusion in future with Fundación ONCE to design a practical tool updates to the GRI Guidelines. In the that helps organizations publicly communicate meantime, we hope that organizations will their commitment to respect and advance make use of this guide and integrate disability­ the rights of people with disabilities. It will related information into their reports and help to understand the range of activities that public disclosures. We sincerely hope it will can have an impact, positive or negative, on assist them in meeting their responsibility to their rights, and identifies a number of GRI respect the rights of people with disabilities disclosures that can be used as a basis for and leveraging disability as an enabler for reporting on disability. business success. DISABILITY IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 3 as a whole, share the value generated by inclusive employment practices and accessible environments, products and services. Many companies are already developing strategies that include disability as an opportunity for added value, thereby strengthening responsible or sustainable competitiveness and demonstrating that social investment can go hand-in-hand with Alberto Durán López cost-effectiveness. A shining example is Executive Vice-President, Fundación ONCE ILUNION, the corporate group of ONCE and President, ILUNION its Foundation that, with more than 31,000 employees – of which 32% have a disability Fundación ONCE’s mission is to improve the – successfully inserts the social values of its quality of life of people with disabilities and founders into business. their families, mainly in the areas of training, employment and universal accessibility. Within The exercise of sustainability reporting this context, Fundación ONCE has worked gives companies and organizations the for many years to mainstream the disability space to communicate what they are dimension into organizations’ management as doing, as well as reflect on management one of the differentiating values in businesses. aspects that could be improved. Following It promotes social inclusion and it can also be several national and international initiatives a competitive advantage. involving CSR and disability, Fundación ONCE and GRI have reached an agreement People with disabilities constitute more than to launch this publication, which will help one billion of the world’s population. They organizations report on disability using the are a “major minority”, often remaining an G4 Guidelines. untapped source of diversity, talent and innovation. They, and their families, represent Fundación ONCE greatly values GRI’s a large consumer base, generating new commitment to mainstream key disability business opportunities. issues in its Guidelines and anticipates that the publication of this document will be a For many years, people with disabilities – and first step in helping and inspiring companies, the organizations that represent them – have thereby enriching information disclosure regarded corporate social responsibility and and transparent communication. Fundación sustainability as suitable and appropriate ONCE also thanks the European Social Fund’s arenas in which to spread awareness of support for making this publication possible. disability. This includes raising awareness from a human rights perspective, as established by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of 2006, but also from a shared value perspective, whereby both people with disabilities and businesses, an society 4 DISABILITY IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING A useful guide This guide is designed to help organizations This guide can also help organizations better communicate their commitment to respecting understand the business value of disability, as and promoting the rights of people with regards both creating inclusive workplaces, as disabilities. It can help organizations understand well as taking advantage of the business case of what activities can have an impact, whether disability for the development of new products, positive or negative, on the rights of people with services and physical environments. disabilities, and which GRI disclosures can be used as the basis for reporting on those impacts. About the Global Reporting Initiative About Fundación ONCE The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) promotes Fundación ONCE for the Cooperation and Social the use of sustainability reporting as a way for Inclusion of People with Disabilities (Fundación organizations to become more sustainable and ONCE) has the main goal of promoting the contribute to sustainable development. GRI’s quality of life of people with disabilities and their mission is to make sustainability reporting families, particularly focused on the areas of standard practice. To enable all companies training, employment and universal accessibility and organizations to report their economic, of environments, products and services. Based environmental, social and governance in Spain, Fundación ONCE has long experience performance, GRI produces free Sustainability in CSR and Sustainability, collaborating Reporting Guidelines. GRI is an international beyond borders with private companies, public not-for-profit, network-based organization. Its administrations and other organizations from activity involves thousands of professionals the civil society, enhancing the disability and organizations from many sectors, perspective in this field. Fundación ONCE runs constituencies and regions. the Spanish Operational Programme “Fight Against Discrimination 2007-2013”, which runs until 2015, co-funded by the European Social Fund, thanks to which several key activities can be developed, including this Guide. Website: www.globalreporting.org Website: www.fundaciononce.es/es Lead contributors for this publication include: GRI: Bastian Buck, Laura Espinach, Jan te Roller Fundación ONCE: Maria Tussy, Carla Bonino DISABILITY IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 5 Contents 1. Disability and business 6 1.1 A major minority 6 1.2 The rights of people with disabilities and business responsibility 7 1.3 The business case of disability 11 2. The human rights and business cases of disability: company examples 12 Enersis: Promoting inclusion and diversity within and outside 14 ILUNION: Spirit of achievement 15 L’Oréal: Inclusion of disability worldwide 17 Samsung Electronics: The power to experience new experiences 18 Standard Bank: Accommodating employees with disabilities 19 Telefónica: Integrating disability in the value chain 20 Westpac Group: Bringing everybody on board 21 Wipro: Creating a level playing field 22 3. Incorporating disability into GRI-based reporting 23 3.1 The right focus 23 3.2 Organizational governance and values 26 3.3 Embedding respect 29 3.4 Employment and decent work 32 3.5 Accessibility 36 3.6 Business relationships 40 3.7 Community 43 Additional resources 46 Acknowledgments 47 6 DISABILITY IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 1. Disability and business 1.1 A major minority Over a billion people – 15% of the world’s activities.3 For example, unemployment among population – are currently estimated to be people with disabilities is as high as 80% in living with a disability.1, 2 some countries.4 This often results in high rates of poverty, marginalization from society, They are our planet’s largest – and most and denied access to development. frequently overlooked – minority group. These difficulties are exacerbated in less People with disabilities are part of our advantaged communities. Research indicates diverse society and constitute a source of that an estimated 80% of people with untapped talent for employment and for the disabilities live in developing countries.5 An development of products and services. This average of 18% of adults aged 18 years and could be used by companies as a competitive older in low-income countries experience advantage. significant functioning difficulties in their everyday lives as a result of disability, Despite this, to date, people with disabilities compared to 11.8% of adults in high-income remain largely marginalized from society. countries.6 Too often it is obstacles such as the lack of accessible environments (e.g., stairs without In addition to those living in developing