Highlights of People & Culture Roundtable: Fostering inclusivity for people with disabilities in the workplace

The roundtable commenced with a warm welcome from the Chair of the People & Culture Committee, Fabrizio Ulivi, Managing Partner at SBA – Shi Bisset & Associate, setting the stage for an engaging discussion on responsible business and inclusive design.

Sustainability & Inclusion at IHG

Benjamin Zahn, Vice President of Operations, East China at IHG Greater China, introduced Journey to Tomorrow, IHG’s ambitious 2030 responsible business action plan focusing on sustainability, diversity, and community impact. He detailed IHG’s initiatives, including:

• Driving gender balance and doubling under-represented groups in leadership.
• Fostering an inclusive culture through Employee Resource Groups.
• Supporting employee well-being through structured programs.
• Integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce, with nearly 600 employees with disabilities in Greater China hotels and 15% of the workforce aged 50+.

Zahn also showcased IHG’s mentorship-driven RISE program for female leadership, a buddy system to support employees with disabilities, and strategic partnerships with Special Education Schools and provincial disability federations to provide training, internships, and employment opportunities. Through these initiatives, IHG aims to lead the hospitality industry in responsible and inclusive business practices.

Inclusive Design to close the Disability Gap

Minki Chang, Founder and Managing Director at MustardTek Inclusive Design Studio, introduced a thought-provoking perspective on disability as a mismatch in human interaction rather than a personal health condition. He underscored the importance of inclusive design and accountability in building a more equitable world. MustardTek works to connect individuals with disabilities to organizations as designers and problem solvers, helping businesses create more accessible products and services by learning directly from those who experience exclusion.

Key Takeaways

The discussion centred on fostering inclusivity for people with disabilities in the workplace, emphasising the need to shift from compliance-driven policies to genuine cultural change. Participants shared initiatives such as:

• Inclusive hiring practices and partnerships with disability organizations.
• Redesigning workspaces to accommodate diverse needs.
• Challenging assumptions—recognizing that people with disabilities often face mismatches between their abilities and workplace expectations rather than inherent limitations.
• Equitable performance management, advocating for individualized rather than identical standards.
• The role of leadership in normalizing inclusion through education and exposure.

Companies like InterContinental Hotels Group and Google highlighted programs to integrate disabled employees into frontline roles, while others stressed the value of co-designing solutions with disabled individuals to improve accessibility.

Another key focus was the societal and systemic barriers in China, where stigma and lack of infrastructure often limit opportunities for disabled individuals. Participants discussed the need for:

• Broader awareness campaigns and government collaboration to rethink traditional work structures.
• AI-powered accessibility tools, such as sign language translation apps, to enhance workplace inclusion.
• Experiential learning, such as hotel teams learning sign language to better integrate hearing-impaired staff.

The group agreed that inclusivity benefits everyone, as designing for disabilities often improves systems for all. Challenges such as bias in AI training and the scarcity of disabled applicants due to cultural stigma were acknowledged, but the overall tone was optimistic—highlighting progress in shifting mindsets and the potential for businesses to lead societal change by embedding inclusion into their core operations.

BritCham Shanghai extends its gratitude to attendees for making this roundtable insightful. Stay tuned for more opportunities to engage with key themes in people and culture development.