ICT accessibility for inclusive job opportunities
International Telecommunication Union and International Labour Organization
Session 473
Background:
Organizations seeking to hire new talent are increasingly placing their job advertisements online and frequently require applications to be submitted online.
Ensuring that online job applications are available in digitally accessible formats is critical for promoting fair competition and eliminating barriers for persons with disabilities in accessing job opportunities. With the increased digitization of the recruitment process, online job applications have become the norm, and it's important that they are designed to be accessible to everyone, including for persons with disabilities. This means that the online application process should be compatible with assistive technology, such as screen readers and other devices that enable persons with disabilities to access digital content.
However, one of the many barriers that persons with disabilities face in accessing employment opportunities is that many online job application and recruitment systems do not contain accessible digital content and have not been designed and developed with ICT accessibility requirements in mind, therefore creating barriers for persons with disabilities to apply for jobs in conditions of equality.
Removing such obstacles throughout the recruitment process will enable persons with disabilities to compete for jobs in conditions of equality, whilst giving employers access to a larger talent pool and enhancing their chances of attracting the best candidates.
Failure to make online job applications digitally accessible can result in qualified candidates with disabilities being excluded from the recruitment process, and this can perpetuate inequality and limit diversity in the workplace. By making online job applications accessible, employers can broaden their talent pool, tap into a wider range of skills, and promote a more inclusive workplace culture.
To address this important issue, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have jointly developed a Guidebook on accessibility of online job application and recruitment systems to help employers (public and private) understand the barriers that persons with disabilities may face when applying for a job online, and the accessibility and usability requirements that job portals and digital tools used in recruitment processes should meet to support the overarching goal of promoting inclusive employment.
To complement the guidebook, ITU and ILO have also developed a self-paced e-learning course ‘Inclusive employment: How to ensure that online job applications and recruitment systems are accessible to all’ designed for all stakeholders (including public and private sector, trade unions, academia, civil society and international organizations). The course is particularly useful for individuals involved in the recruitment process of their organizations and maintenance of their job portals, who wish to enhance their knowledge on the topic of digital accessibility and their understanding of the principles of universal design which are fundamental to building inclusive online job applications and recruitment systems.
Both products can be found on the following link: ITU-ILO Accessibility of Online Job Application and Recruitment Systems
See more about ITU-D work in ICT/digital accessibility
Objectives of the session:
To raise awareness among key stakeholders that e-recruitment processes need to be accessible and inclusive to persons with disabilities
To disseminate the ITU/ILO guidance document and training material
To discuss with participants possible next steps to promote digital accessibility for all
To discuss with participants the challenges and barriers to implement the guidebook.
Mr. Stefan Tromel is Senior Disability Specialist in the International Labour Organization since August 2013,. Between 2008 and 2013, Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance between 1999 and 2004, Director of the European Disability Forum (EDF).Was actively involved in the negotiation process of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2002-2006).
Since January 2020, Sylvia Poll is the Head of the Digital Society Division in the Telecommunication Development Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This Division focuses on digital inclusion, and digital innovation ecosystems. Before that, she was for five years the Head of the ITU Project Support Division. Sylvia Poll was also the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office in Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland from 2010 to 2014, where she was the main focal point for Costa Rica for ITU, WIPO, WHO and IOM, as well as international cooperation development projects. Prior to this position, she was the Latin America Regional Manager at the INCAE Business School and a manager at a Costa Rican communications company before that, with a strong focus on women and youth inclusion.
Since joining this field in 2004, Mr Ricardo García Bahamonde has worked for leading organizations like ONCE Foundation (Spain), the CIDI (former AMAC Accessibility) at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, USA), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), G3ict (USA) and the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) in consulting, project management, and research assignments with a global outreach. Ricardo holds a MA in Economics from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain, and is an IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).
Ms. Güler Koca, is part of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch of the ILO. She provides technical guidance to the ILO on the implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy. She previously worked with a range of international organizations on projects related to the inclusion of minorities and under represented groups in different, such as in forced displacements situations and areas, such as crisis situations, youth participation and employment of person with disabilities, including via digital platforms.
Ms. Sakunthala Mapa has over 15 years of experience in International Development having worked with international and local organisations in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Initially focused on public health, Saku has more recently turned her attention to disability inclusion. She joined Leonard Cheshire Disability in 2018 to lead its largest international programme targeting to upskill 10,000 persons with disabilities to access job opportunities by testing a digital employment pathway in low- and middle-income countries. Last year she joined UNPRPD to oversee the implementation of over 30 national programmes designed to support countries advance the CRPD. Saku holds a postgraduate degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Masters degree In Innovation management from University of Sussex, UK.
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C1. The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development
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C7. ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-employment
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C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
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Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
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Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
