Why disability needs to move beyond CSR

This article is authored by Bhumika Modh, head, policy research and collaboration, Association of People with Disability.

What would it look like if disability inclusion became part of how a business works, rather than only what it supports?

Health (Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels)

That shift may sound subtle, but it changes the conversation entirely.

For decades, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India has played an important role in supporting persons with disabilities. Funding for assistive devices, medical camps, rehabilitation and skilling programmes has helped address immediate needs and create meaningful impact. As the conversation around disability inclusion evolves, there is an opportunity to look beyond individual interventions and towards the systems that shape everyday participation.

At its core, the traditional CSR approach to disability has often been rooted in support and benevolence. While these interventions remain valuable, they can sometimes position persons with disabilities primarily as recipients of assistance, rather than as citizens, consumers, employees and leaders. This is the moment to complement these efforts by addressing the environments and structures that shape everyday participation.

The barriers are often structural: Inaccessible infrastructure, digital systems that cannot be navigated by everyone, hiring practices that may not account for different needs, and public services that are not designed with accessibility at their core. Addressing these barriers requires businesses to consider inclusion across how they design, build, hire and serve.

In recent years, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) frameworks have helped bring disability into corporate policies, hiring conversations and organisational narratives. This is an important step forward. Yet disability can still find itself competing for attention within broader DEI agendas, with inclusion sometimes expressed through hiring initiatives, awareness programmes or reporting. The next opportunity is to go deeper: to consider who designs systems, whose needs are considered from the outset, and whether persons with disabilities have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect them.

This is where environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks can offer a powerful pathway.

ESG has already changed how companies think about climate risk, governance standards and long-term value creation. It has also created greater focus on measuring social performance and accountability. Bringing disability and accessibility into this conversation can shift the focus from standalone initiatives towards measurable, organisation-wide inclusion.

What would this look like in practice? Accessibility could become a measurable standard. Just as companies track carbon emissions or board diversity, they could assess the accessibility of their digital platforms, physical infrastructure, products and services. This would include compliance with accessibility standards, alongside usability and lived experience.

Disability inclusion could also be integrated into workforce metrics. This means looking beyond hiring numbers to recruitment, retention, career progression and workplace accommodations. It requires businesses to think about job design, performance metrics and organisational culture, so that people with different needs have equitable opportunities to participate and progress.

The same thinking can extend to supply chains and customer ecosystems. Vendors and partners, products and services, and customer experiences all form part of the accessibility journey. Universal design can ensure that accessibility is considered from the outset and incorporated into the development process.

Governance is equally important. Leadership accountability, board-level oversight and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making can help ensure that inclusion becomes part of organisational thinking and decision-making.

Crucially, there is a strong business case for this shift. Accessibility is not a niche concern. It can expand markets, encourage innovation and improve experiences for everyone. The “curb-cut effect” is a useful example: designs created with accessibility in mind often benefit a much wider population. In a digital-first economy, accessible systems can make products and services easier to use and create better experiences for customers and employees alike.

India, with its legal framework under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and its growing emphasis on digital public infrastructure, is at a defining point in this journey. As businesses become increasingly conscious of their ESG responsibilities, disability presents an opportunity to broaden what meaningful social impact looks like.

The transition from CSR to ESG should build on the valuable work CSR has supported. It creates space to embed disability inclusion into how businesses operate, from hiring and design to service and governance.

Ultimately, inclusion is reflected in everyday experiences: who can enter a building, navigate a website, apply for a job, use a product, advance in a career and participate in decisions.

When accessibility becomes part of these everyday systems, disability inclusion becomes part of how a business creates value and fulfils its responsibility to its stakeholders.

That is what separates illusion from inclusion: not the optics businesses project but the outcomes they create.

(The views expressed are personal)

This article is authored by Bhumika Modh, head, policy research and collaboration, Association of People with Disability.