Opening New Doors to Inclusion: The Importance of Cross-Sector Collaboration
In today’s corporate management landscape, promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities (PWDs) is not just a social responsibility. It is a key driver of long-term business value and competitiveness. With the global focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) growing, and challenges such as aging population and the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses (e.g., strokes[1], heart disease[2], and cancer[3]) among younger demographics, the proportion of PWDs in the workforce is rising. As a result, disability employment has become a pressing issue in both societal and corporate contexts.
In the past, society has placed the responsibility for disability employment primarily on corporates’ HR departments. However, Dr. Echo Shang from The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has introduced the co-creation pathway for inclusion: CIP Framework[4], which highlights key gaps in conventional approaches. Many policies focus narrowly on “providing job opportunities”, but fail to address critical areas such as:
Supporting PWDs in developing self-agency and competencies.
Enhancing accessibility in communities and workplaces through universally designed infrastructure.
Establishing a long-term and sustainable support network to promote inclusion in the community and workplace.
To address these challenges, the CIP Framework proposes three key principles:
Agency-First Model: Empower PWDs to actively plan their life and career that align with their unique bio-psycho-social needs and wills.
Co-Production Mechanism: Foster collaboration across multiple sectors (e.g. corporates, policymakers, NGOs, and PWD communities) to ensure policies and resources address real-world needs.
Ecosystem-building Principle: Bring together diverse stakeholders to cultivate a culture of inclusion and sustain long-term progress in disability employment.
How Can Different Stakeholders Support and Promote Inclusive Employment?
The following table outlines actionable practices for disability employment, aligned with SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and ESG categories, and identifies the key stakeholders involved:
ESG Categories (For Reference Only)
Social Responsibility (Community Engagement)
Practical Action Examples for Inclusive Employment
Provide mandatory Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) value education curricula across higher education and K-12 education.
Partner with vocational training institutions to provide internships or apprenticeships for PWDs, helping them explore suitable industries and roles.
Implement mentorship programmes during internships to help PWDs understand workplace culture.
Key Stakeholders
Educational institutions (higher education institutions, K-12 schools)
Vocational training institutions
Rehabilitation organizations
Schools with SEN
Corporates’ HR departments
ESG Categories (For Reference Only)
Social Responsibility (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, hereafter referred to as DEIB）
Practical Action Examples for Inclusive Employment
Ensure recruitment and employment processes are inclusive. Please refer to this link for more information.
Collaborate with rehabilitation organizations to implement universal design in the workplace and provide assistive tools to enhance accessibility (if any).
Key Stakeholders
Corporates’ HR departments
Rehabilitation organizations
ESG Categories (For Reference Only)
Social Responsibility (DEIB)
Corporate Governance
Practical Action Examples for Inclusive Employment
Ensure equal pay and career development and advancement opportunities for PWDs.
Launch DEIB awareness campaigns to reduce colleagues’ unconscious bias associated with hiring PWDs.
Establish anti-discrimination policies and monitor the implementation outcomes.
Key Stakeholders
Disability employment advocacy organization/ Workplace inclusion consultants
Corporates’ HR departments
ESG Categories (For Reference Only)
Social Responsibility (DEIB)
Practical Action Examples for Inclusive Employment
Ensure community and building follow universal design guidelines by the Architectural Services Department.
Improve public transport accessibility for people with diverse disabilities.
If feasible, support remote work options for PWDs with mobility challenges.
Key Stakeholders
Urban planners
Architects
Engineers and technicians engaging in community and building development
Transport service providers
Corporates’ HR departments
ESG Categories (For Reference Only)
Corporate Governance
Practical Action Examples for Inclusive Employment
Establish a reporting mechanism to mediate discrimination and unfair complaint cases within the corporate at an early stage.
Key Stakeholders
Corporates’ Legal departments
Corporates’ HR departments
As shown above, promoting disability employment cannot rely solely on the efforts of corporates’ HR departments. Instead, it requires collaboration among professionals from various industries to co-enhance inclusion in both communities and workplaces.
Our research team is committed to raising awareness and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders to build inclusive societies and work environments. For more information or exploring collaboration opportunities, feel free to contact us at se-research@eduhk.hk.
About the Authors:
Dr. Echo Shang: Programme Leader of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Social Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, Assistant Professor at The Education University of Hong Kong | Official Website
Miss. Giny Chin: Certified ESG Planner, ICSD | LinkedIn Profile
[1] LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (2025, March 29). 關注年輕中風[Concerning Young Stroke]. Newspaper Columns. https://www.med.hku.hk/zh-hk/media/knowledge-exchange/newspaper-columns/2025/mar/odn_20250329#
[2] CHAIR, S.Y. (2018, September 6). 心臟復康知多少[How Much Do You Know About Cardiac Rehabilitation?] The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. https://www.nur.cuhk.edu.hk/in-the-press/20180906-hkej-hk/
[3] Hospital Authority. (n.d.). CanSQS - all ages. Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority. https://www3.ha.org.hk/cancereg/allages.asp
[4] Shang, L., & Chandra, Y. (2025). Exploring Social Entrepreneurship Co-Production Processes in the Disability Sector: Individual and Collection Action Views. Journal of Social Policy, 54(1), 301–323. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279423000077
