…as Global Disability Summit adopts Amman-Berlin Declaration on inclusive employment and development
In a bold and renewed call to action, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged governments, employers, and civil society around the world to step up efforts in dismantling long-standing barriers that continue to keep persons with disabilities out of the labour market.
Speaking at the Global Disability Summit held from April 2 to 3, 2025, ILO’s Deputy Director-General, Celeste Drake, declared that equal access to decent work for persons with disabilities must become a global development priority—not just a moral obligation, but a strategic imperative for inclusive growth.
“Ensuring that people with disabilities have access to equal opportunities and decent work doesn’t happen by accident,” Drake emphasized. “It requires dedicated and sustained action.”
The Stark Reality of Disability Exclusion
According to ILO estimates, persons with disabilities make up roughly one billion people globally, accounting for about 15 per cent of the world’s population. Yet despite this significant number, their inclusion in the labour market remains disturbingly low.
ILO research revealed that persons with disabilities are 30 per cent less likely to participate in the labour force compared to persons without disabilities. The figures are even more alarming for young people with disabilities, who are twice as likely to be Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) as their peers without disabilities.
The ILO warns that unless decisive action is taken, millions of skilled and capable individuals will remain trapped on the fringes of economic participation—excluded not by their impairments, but by societal and structural barriers.
Dismantling Barriers Through Inclusive Policies
At the summit’s high-level panel on shaping inclusive labour markets and decent work, the ILO underscored the urgency of mainstreaming disability inclusion into employment systems—especially in the wake of rising global inequalities.
The organization called for comprehensive and inclusive policy measures targeting systemic barriers and urged governments to develop national action plans in consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. Special focus, it said, must be placed on women and youth with disabilities, who face compounding layers of discrimination.
“True inclusion means going beyond tokenism,” said Drake. “It means building systems that acknowledge the diverse experiences, skills, and needs of workers with disabilities.”
Global Business and Disability Network: Driving Private Sector Inclusion
A key force in advancing these goals is the ILO’s Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN), a vibrant coalition comprising over 40 multinational corporations and 45 national business networks.
The Network champions the expansion of decent work opportunities for persons with disabilities, particularly in developing countries, where exclusion and poverty often intersect. The GBDN also promotes inclusive business models and encourages employers to adopt disability-friendly practices—from workplace accessibility to flexible hiring policies and inclusive training programs.
However, the ILO noted that despite some progress, many persons with disabilities continue to be overrepresented in the informal economy, where they often face wage discrimination, job insecurity, and unsafe working conditions. For women with disabilities, the wage gap is especially wide, compounding their economic vulnerability.
Limited Social Protection: A Glaring Gap
Beyond employment, social protection remains a significant challenge. ILO data showed that only 33.5 per cent of persons with severe disabilities worldwide have access to adequate social protection, including disability benefits, healthcare, or unemployment support.
This lack of safety nets, the ILO stressed, makes it nearly impossible for persons with disabilities to break the cycle of poverty and exclusion.
Promoting Inclusive Social Dialogue
To truly transform the world of work, the ILO is also calling for the active participation of persons with disabilities in social dialogue and collective bargaining processes. Their involvement, the organisation believes, is essential to crafting labour laws, policies, and workplace standards that reflect their lived realities and aspirations.
“Nothing about us without us” was a recurring theme throughout the summit—a powerful reminder that inclusion must be led by those most affected.
Amman-Berlin Declaration: A New Global Commitment
The summit concluded with a major milestone: the adoption of the Amman-Berlin Declaration on Global Disability Inclusion, a powerful statement of international solidarity and commitment to disability rights. The declaration calls on all global development stakeholders to ensure that at least 15 per cent of international development programmes actively pursue disability inclusion.
The ILO, alongside other major international bodies, officially endorsed the declaration, reaffirming its commitment to making disability inclusion a central and measurable component of both international development and humanitarian strategies.
The Road Ahead: From Words to Action
The Global Disability Summit served as both a wake-up call and a beacon of hope. With strong calls to action, bold policy proposals, and the backing of global institutions, the momentum for disability inclusion in the labour market is growing.
But the ILO made it clear: the time for symbolic commitments is over. What’s needed now is sustained political will, cross-sector collaboration, and genuine investment in the abilities and rights of persons with disabilities.
“Inclusion is not charity. It is justice. It is economic sense. And it is long overdue,” Drake concluded.
