Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) is a non-profit Trust established by the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF). BBDN is a group of representatives from business, industry, employers’ organizations and selected non-governmental and disabled peoples’ organizations working collectively on facilitating disability inclusion and workplace diversity in Bangladesh.
The Zero Project, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, announced Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) as one of their award winners in the category of Innovative Practices in Employment from the Business Sector for the year 2021. The awardees were announced on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3, 2020).
From 475 nominations across 47 countries, 178 nominations made it through to the shortlist and 66 received the prestigious awards on employment, according to a press release. The approach of the Zero Project is to research and share innovative practice and policies worldwide, by engaging with a worldwide cross-sectoral network of innovators, decision-makers and opinion leaders on the issue of disability inclusion. More than 5,000 experts, with and without disabilities, in over 150 countries have been actively contributing to the Zero Project in the past years. Its mission is working for a world with zero barriers.
Following the recognition, BBDN has expressed its sincere gratitude to the Zero Project, all valued BBDN members, partners and well-wishers. Without the strong support and commitment of all stakeholders, it would not have been possible to win the award for facilitating employment opportunities for people with disabilities, it said. As a network, BBDN relies on the strength of partnerships and the impact of collective action, according to the message.
In an effort to take forward the work for which BBDN has won the Zero Project award, the organisation is now on its way to launching a career portal for people with disabilities in partnership with Leonard Cheshire, CSID and Bdjobs, through the support of UK Government FCDO under the Innovation to Inclusion (i2i) programme.
