Large DPO supporting the business sector with regional inclusion centres

NOWPDP in Pakistan created a capacity-building programme for employers. Between 2016-2023, it created 1,400 jobs, collaborated with major firms, and established inclusive standards in the banking sector.

The Network of Organizations Working with People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), a nationwide DPO, has developed a capacity-building programme for employers called Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion. The collaborative and fundraising-based programme works with large employers such as Dawlance (a Pakistani home appliances brand), S&P Global, Unilever Pakistan, and Dubai Islamic Bank, and has led to the creation of more than 1,400 jobs from 2016 to 2023, as well as to the establishment of an employment standard in the banking sector.

Problems Targeted

The program me addresses employers’ lack of expertise in hiring persons with disabilities and mitigates the limited educational access that hinders their employment.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Launched in 2022, the Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion (CEFI) is a key initiative of NOWPDP, endorsed by the State Bank of Pakistan. CEFI assists employment sectors in developing the necessary framework and knowledge to integrate and support persons with disabilities, particularly in the banking sector. This includes identifying job roles, revising HR policies to include accommodations, and improving physical and digital infrastructures for accessibility. The centre conducts disability sensitization sessions, trains ‘disability champions’ within organizations, and provides sign language training for workplace inclusion. CEFI also ensures that persons with disabilities are registered for Special National Identity Cards, and it offers the development of market-relevant skills through accessible training centres in several cities, including Hyderabad, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Sujawal. After training, persons with disabilities are matched with relevant job roles in partner organizations.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

CEFI aims to create 1,000 jobs per year through its ‘Hub & Spoke’ model and to establish itself as a certifying body for accessibility and inclusion across various industries. The Hub is an expert centre in a region, and the Spokes are its satellite units. NOWPDP’s engagement with the State Bank of Pakistan led to the creation of the 2021 Financial Inclusion Policy for persons with disabilities, which incorporates recommendations for sustainable employment in the banking sector. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)

Pictures

The Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion supports workplaces to become inclusive.

The Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion supports workplaces to become inclusive.

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