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July 24, 2006
Realising Potential, Disability Confidence Builds Better Business
The Employers' Forum on Disability recently launched
www.realising-potential.org.
It is targetted at:
- business leaders seeking to understand why disability is a business issue and to put together a compelling business case for investment in disability confidence;
- organisations and policy makers who need to understand the business perspective as they help disabled people to prepare for and find employment; and
- all those wanting to engage business leaders behind the economic and social inclusion of people with disabilities.
The website focuses on 'Disability Confidence' - It explains how business benefits from understanding how disability affects their business. It then outlines how meeting the needs of groups of disabled people with similar needs, and making adjustments to enable specific individuals to contribute, works to the mutual benefit of business and disabled people. It is designed to help individual business leaders tailor their particular rationale for positioning disability as a priority for their business.
The intention with this website is to move beyond the dated business case paradigm (generalisations about the cost-benefit of employing marginalised groups) to present a more sophisticated insight into how business leaders today realise the business potential of responding to everyone as individuals, be they employees and potential employees, customers, shareholders or valued stakeholders.
The new business case stands on six building blocks: the strategic, societal, commercial, legal, ethical and professional benefits of getting it right on disability. The website stresses the importance of developing a rounded business case which addresses strategic trends such as demographics, the aging population and individualisation, as well as the ethical importance of inclusion and rights. We have drawn from a wide range of sources, looking for data and insights which are relevant to - and will be used by - business.
www.realising-potential.org will also encourage those commissioning research to focus academic inquiry in a way which helps us to build a more nuanced understanding of how disability affects any business - and of the socio-technical dynamics which determine which building blocks are used by any business leader to justify investment in disability confidence by their particular organisation.
Rhiannon Suter, Research and Innovations Manager Employers' Forum on Disability stated, "We will continue to add case studies, evidence and statistics over time so if you have anything to add,or are aware of any research planned or underway which we should take into account, please do get in touch!"
Tel: 020 7089 2416Email: rhiannon.suter@employers-forum.co.uk
The Employers' Forum on Disability is the authoritative voice on disability as it affects business
Posted by Nancy at July 24, 2006 05:50 PM
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