Baking for Independence

The Children are Us Foundation organized a grand seminar on disability employment at the National Taiwan University International Conference Center. The theme of the seminar was "Inclusive Employment for Sustainable Development," with a full day of planned discussions. We incorporated four elements from the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to broaden our perspective on current disability employment services in Taiwan.

During the keynote address, we were honored to have David Upton, former CEO of Common Good Solution from Canada, share insights into organizational vision and innovative business models. A distinguished professor from the Department of Social Work at National Chengchi University initiated the event from a strengths-based perspective, illustrating the dual arrows of inclusivity and sustainability.

Starting with the stories of individuals with disabilities, we observed a common theme across various sessions, highlighting the importance of avoiding unintentional labeling of differences throughout different service processes. The reflection led us to consider whether we inadvertently made their disabilities more pronounced in various service contexts, emphasizing the need for treating everyone with a strengths-based approach, not just individuals with disabilities.

Addressing issues of inequality, in addition to familiar topics such as employment rights, Panel II delved into discussions on aging delay and the promotion of disability sports. The Sunshine Foundation and Taipei City Labor Force Utilization Office have been actively promoting these initiatives in recent years, with Professor Jiang Yiming from National Taiwan Normal University highlighting the concept of sports equality. This reminded us that accessibility is a pervasive need in daily life, not confined to the realm of employment.

In the session on the value of disability employment services, we explored how organizations could expand their impact on frontline services. The discussion revolved around the organization's mission and how to prioritize "developing social value ahead of business purposes." Achieving a win-win situation in the employment process requires a rational adjustment to fulfill the original business objectives without sacrificing the needs of any party involved.

In conclusion, we draw inspiration from a physician at the Triumph Hospital, who emphasized that when an individual's life encompasses multiple roles, their disability becomes just one aspect of their identity. If their life lacks diverse dimensions, the disability becomes the sole focus. True inclusion and sustainable development in society arise when we shift our focus from perceiving individuals as special cases to creating an environment and community that empowers people with disabilities in their lives and work.