On October 10, 2024, Nidhi Goyal, Founder and Executive Director of Rising Flame, was invited as a guest lecturer to deliver the presentation Workplace, Inclusion, and Leadership for Women and Persons with Disabilities for the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, a Post-Graduate Programme in Management Practice and Leadership. The session aimed to highlight the barriers faced by persons with disabilities, particularly women, in employment and leadership, while also providing insights on disability inclusion in the workforce and corporate best practices.
The event also provided valuable insights into the intersection of disability, gender, and employment and reinforced the importance of inclusive workplace policies that enable all individuals, regardless of disability status, to thrive in leadership roles.
The session commenced with an overview of the global and national statistics on disability. Nidhi shared that an estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, experience significant disability. In India, estimates vary widely; the 2011 Census reported 26.8 million persons with disabilities, while a 2007 World Bank report suggested a range between 40–90 million, or 4–8% of the population. However, their overall labour market participation rate is very low, with only 3 in 10 disabled people active in the labour market, according to the ILO.
Nidhi outlined the key barriers preventing women and persons with disabilities from equal participation in the workforce, including a lack of accessible education and training, wage gaps and job segregation, discrimination and harassment, a lack of representation of women with disabilities in leadership roles. The scale of these barriers was illustrated using concrete data; for example, Nidhi emphasised that only 41.7% of girls with disabilities globally complete primary school, according to the WHO, and that women with disabilities are 2-3 times more likely to experience violence.
After acknowledging the magnitude of workplace disability exclusion, Nidhi highlighted the economic or financial repercussions this has on both society and businesses: the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimating that disability-related economic losses range from 3–7% of GDP in low and middle-income countries. Beyond the economic losses, persons with disabilities represent a vast consumer market, valued at over $8 trillion globally, highlighting the untapped potential for businesses that prioritise inclusivity.
Furthermore, strong disability inclusion policies enhance brand reputation and attract a broader customer base and a more diverse workforce, positioning companies as socially responsible and forward-thinking. Diverse teams also foster innovation and creativity, thereby contributing to more effective problem-solving and better business outcomes.
The presentation highlighted actionable steps organisations can take to foster inclusion, such as organising awareness sessions on disability inclusion, conducting training on integrating PWDs into teams, assessing current policies and infrastructure for accessibility, and rethinking hiring practices and innovating work processes.
The session concluded with a call to action for participants to champion disability inclusion in their respective fields. Nidhi emphasised that true inclusion goes beyond compliance—it requires a shift in mindset and systemic efforts to ensure equitable access to opportunities for all.