SG Enable, Zero Project host first Apac symposium on inclusive hiring and workplaces

SG ENABLE, the focal agency for disability and inclusion in Singapore, has held its inaugural Asia-Pacific symposium in collaboration with non-profit organisation Zero Project to boost disability inclusion across the region. The event focused on employment for persons with disabilities (PWDs).

The symposium, which took place from Nov 28 to 29, brought together businesses, government representatives, non-government organisations and social entrepreneurs to build partnerships and share best practices on advancing disability inclusion.

SG Enable, the Singapore Land Authority and Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (Redas) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance barrier-free access routes and scale inclusive infrastructure around the country. 

This follows the pilot of barrier-free access routes on OneMap, Singapore’s authoritative map. The collaboration will augment the current routes with broader coverage of indoor routes and new locations.

Chia Ngiang Hong, immediate past president of Redas, said: “With the support of potential partners like CapitaLand Group, City Developments Limited and Frasers Property, we aim to enhance barrier-free accessibility, improve wayfinding and foster a more inclusive and user-friendly environment.”

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, as well as for Social and Family Development, Eric Chua, who was the guest of honour at the symposium, said: “Disability-inclusive employment not only strengthens business culture, but also contributes to sustained economic and social gains.”

The importance of inclusive hiring

One key focus of the symposium was inclusive hiring. Local and global companies discussed the benefits of building an inclusive workplace culture at a panel.

Kung Teong Wah, general manager of ParkRoyal Collection Pickering, Pan Pacific Hotel Group, said that it redesigns jobs for PWDs to accommodate them, in order to create a “zero-barrier community”.

Pauline Tee, executive director of risk management at Standard Chartered Singapore, said the bank has a disability resource group for PWDs to tap. It also enables its employees to interact with PWDs during volunteering programmes to foster better understanding of PWDs. So far, team leaders have found that “collaboration is stronger” and “people are more understanding”, she noted.

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Ankit Garg, executive director of credit and portfolio management at StanChart, who is visually impaired, said the bank “co-created solutions” to accommodate for his disability. He noted that the unconscious bias and prejudice against hiring PWDs comes from the “fear of the unknown”, as people do not have experience in interacting with PWDs. Dealing with this fear involves “open communication”.

At the event, representatives from Amazon and Microsoft discussed the importance of partnering disability-support organisations. For example, SG Enable helped Amazon audit and evaluate what jobs would be suitable for PWDs; the agency also co-developed a programme with Microsoft to provide cloud and artificial intelligence training for PWDs.

The panel was part of the biennial Inclusive Business Forum, where new tech that enables greater independence for PWDs was also showcased.

Inclusive hiring in practice

Ku Geok Boon, founding chief executive of SG Enable, said hiring PWDs improves company culture. Employers can leverage the skillsets of a broader talent pool that may have been overlooked due to their disability.

“Companies with disability-inclusive employment practices share that they have more purpose-driven employees, an innovative learning culture and increased staff retention rates,” she added.

Likewise, Sharon Yap, director of corporate development at Vital – a department under the Ministry of Finance – who also took part in the panel discussion, told The Business Times: “Inclusive hiring is not a compromise on organisational performance; rather, it is an opportunity to tap into diverse talents and perspectives.”

Vital’s inclusive hiring approach comprises adapting interview processes and redesigning jobs; partnerships with disability support organisations; comprehensive training for human resources and supervisors; employee-led initiatives such as the Inclusion Advocates Committee; implementing physical modifications to create an accessible workplace; and providing access to upskilling programmes.

Yap added: “Our experience has shown that effective skills-to-job matching, coupled with appropriate support, leads to mutually beneficial outcomes for both individuals and the organisation… Working alongside colleagues with disabilities enhances overall workplace empathy and encourages clearer, more inclusive communication.”

Similarly, StanChart’s inclusive-hiring process involves training for team leaders.

Wong Yang-Sheng, head of HR of Singapore and Asean at StanChart, said: “To ensure that our people are equipped to recognise and mitigate bias during the hiring process, people leaders in the bank undergo an inclusive leadership programme so they understand the importance of building an inclusive work environment for all colleagues.”

He added that “with the appropriate tools and right culture”, PWDs can perform “all types of jobs” across the labour market, and they bring “unique perspectives, experiences and talents” to the table.

Attendees of the symposium also toured Singapore’s accessible attractions such as Sentosa and Gardens by the Bay.

The symposium stems from a three-year MOU that SG Enable and Zero Project inked in November last year. They committed to scaling innovative solutions that benefit PWDs, expanding the impact of existing local innovations by sharing them through their global network, and jointly organising annual engagements to advance inclusivity.