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This International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Sarah Gideon catches up with a few industry leaders from AWWA Singapore and Gojek Indonesia to learn about how they hope to shape the way we champion inclusion in the workplace.
Behind every employee is a story, a strength, and a unique perspective. For many HR leaders, personal encounters have left an imprint. Whether it is a colleague whose brilliance was overlooked because the environment wasn’t built for them, or even closer to home, where a family member’s daily resilience has reframed the meaning of strength for them. Or perhaps it may be their own journey – navigating a disability in a world that insists on calling it a limitation.
These experiences shape how they lead. They remind them that accessibility is not just ramps and software – it’s respect. It's slowing down long enough to understand how people move through the world, and ensuring they don’t have to move alone.
This International Day for Persons with Disabilities 2025 (IDPD) on 3 December, Sarah Gideon invited leaders across Asia to answer a simple yet meaningful question: How can organisations move beyond meeting accessibility standards, to truly embed inclusion for persons with disabilities (PWDs) into their culture and everyday practices?
Here's what leaders from AWWA Singapore and Gojek Indonesia have to say.
According to Bruce Liew, Senior Director, Disability & Inclusion, AWWA Singapore, organisations should embrace inclusion as a mindset, not merely to tick off an accessibility checklist. A useful starting point, he says, is a person-centred approach. This involves designing work, support, and communication around the diverse needs and aspirations of employees with disabilities, rather than expecting them to fit into existing structures.
"Inclusion deepens when organisations practice co-creation, by involving persons with disabilities in conversations about human resource policies and practices, workplace adjustments, and employee experience. This shifts the thought process from 'for them' to 'with them'."
He adds that organisations should also be having conversations with disability social service agencies to help strengthen internal capability and sustain long-term inclusion efforts.
Finally, organisations look at enhancing the employability of persons with disabilities, through supported internships, accessible learning pathways, and managers trained to support diverse teams.
"When these become everyday practices, inclusion becomes embedded in culture – as a shared commitment to equal opportunity," Liew affirms.
Meanwhile, as Herman Cahyadi, Head of People, Gojek Indonesia believes, inclusion PwDs becomes real when organisations move beyond compliance toward the awareness that every individual – regardless of limitations or uniqueness – deserves equality, respect, and a sense of belonging. He elaborates: "This begins by reducing everyday frictions and building a work environment that upholds dignity, honours differences, and empowers each person to grow authentically."
From a human relations perspective, he notes, inclusion is a value commitment.
"Inspired by the concept of 'Imago Dei', every human being carries inherent worth. When this awareness becomes collective and barriers are removed, inclusion shifts from a formality into a living culture where people can contribute fully."
Looking ahead, Herman points out that the next five years will be shaped by how organisations leverage technology to expand access for PwDs. "Advances in AI, automation, digital platforms, and assistive tools enable more flexible careers, personalised accommodations, and greater mobility – making inclusion an integral part of the future digital workplace."
These perspectives reveal a quiet but powerful truth: inclusion is not a single initiative – it’s an everyday act of seeing people fully. It’s choosing to design workplaces where talent is never overshadowed by bias, and where dignity is non-negotiable.
Each reflection is a reminder that when organisations remove barriers – physical, cultural, or attitudinal, they don’t just unlock potential. They honour it.
How to do your part this International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025
Participating in International Day of Persons with Disabilities starts with us. Here are some ways HR leaders, and employees alike, can get involved:
Listen to lived experiences
- Host a panel or storytelling session where employees with disabilities share their experiences.
- Encourage open Q&A so colleagues can ask questions respectfully.
- Keep it safe and voluntary – the goal is to understand.
Audit and adapt the workplace
- Take a walk through the office and see through the lens as if you have a disability: Are entrances, bathrooms, software, and communications accessible?
- Make small, tangible changes – e.g., captions on videos, screen-reader friendly docs, adjustable desks, or better signages.
Awareness challenges
- Create short empathy exercises for employees to understand day-to-day barriers.
- Examples can include:
- Navigating the office in a wheelchair,
- Using only one hand, or
- Reading materials with screen readers.
Policy and benefit check-ins
- Review HR policies: Are flexible work arrangements, adaptive technologies, and reasonable accommodations explicitly supported?
- Make sure accommodations are not just permitted but actively communicated and encouraged.
Allyship campaigns
- Encourage staff to pledge support: listening, advocating for accessibility, or mentoring colleagues with disabilities.
- Celebrate these actions internally – not as a KPI, but as real cultural momentum.
Partner with the community
- Collaborate with local disability organisations for volunteering, mentorship, or awareness campaigns.
- Donate time, expertise, or resources to meaningful initiatives.
Celebrate abilities, not disabilities
- Showcase achievements, talents, and contributions of employees with disabilities.
- Focus on their skill, innovation, and impact – not sympathy.
On this day and beyond, let’s strive to go outside of just awareness and truly celebrate abilities, remove barriers, and create workplaces where everyone can thrive. Because inclusion isn’t just one day – it’s a commitment to seeing people for who they are and empowering them to shine every day.
READ MORE: Fostering an inclusive workplace for persons with intellectual disabilities: Your how-to guide
Photos / Provided
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