In the European Union, the unemployment rate of people with severe disabilities is almost double that of people without a disability: 11.6% versus 5.9% according to 2024 Eurostat data.
Even in Italy the gap is significant. According to the XXVI Report on the labor market and collective bargaining of the CNEL, in 2023 only 33% of people with serious limitations and 57% of those with a non-serious disability have a job, compared to 62% of the population without a disability. Added to this is a still high presence in low-skilled positions, a sign of a job market that continues to be conditioned by stereotypes and cultural barriers.
In this context, promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities is not only a question of rights and social equity, but also a strategic lever for businesses, which benefit from different skills, talents and perspectives.
From the global to the local level: the regulatory framework
To combat these barriers and promote real social and working inclusion, regulatory instruments have been introduced over time at international, European and national levels.
The main global reference is represented by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first binding instrument of international law specifically dedicated to the protection of persons with disabilities.
At the European level, in 2021 the EU adopted the Strategy for the rights of people with disabilities 2021-2030, aimed at ensuring full and effective participation in social and working life. In May 2026, the Commission also published the communication "Strengthening the strategy for the rights of people with disabilities until 2030", reiterating the need to further strengthen interventions also on the employment level.
In Italy, the main reference is Law 68/1999 on targeted placement, which promotes the employment of people with disabilities and members of protected categories. The legislation provides for the obligation for companies with at least 15 employees to hire a quota of these workers.
Why is inclusion also good for businesses?
The inclusion of people with disabilities in working contexts not only represents an issue of protection of human rights and compliance, but also an increasingly strategic factor for competitiveness and corporate success.
In fact, people with disabilities represent an important pool of skills, talents and points of view. As employees, consumers, suppliers, investors and business partners, they can contribute to strengthening organizational capacity, propensity for innovation and corporate problem solving.
An accessible and inclusive working environment also generates widespread benefits:
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improves organizational well-being;
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increases employee engagement and retention;
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strengthens the company's reputation among customers, investors and stakeholders;
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promotes a more open and collaborative corporate culture.
To confirm an increasingly solid business case, UNI/PdR 159:2024 "Inclusive work for people with disabilities" was introduced in 2024, a specific reference practice that attests to an organizational model aimed at enhancing the work inclusion of people with disabilities.
What concrete actions for companies
In order for the business case for inclusion to be translated concretely into corporate contexts, tools and measures capable of accompanying the entire career path of people with disabilities are needed: from selection to inclusion, up to professional growth.
In this framework, UN Global Compact Network Italy identifies some key actions for businesses:
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prepare a competent reference figure, such as the disability manager, who accompanies people with disabilities throughout their professional career;
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create a D&I Committee that also involves people with different physical and intellectual disabilities;
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adopt reasonable accommodation measures, both structural, technical-material and organizational, such as flexible working hours and smart working, also to support caregivers;
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counteract cognitive biases and overqualification phenomena;
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promote an inclusive language, centered on the person and not on medical labels.
Read also: Neurodiversity in the workplace: the challenge is to manage and enhance talent
Per approfondire: Guidelines on Diversity & Inclcusion in the workplace
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