The 18th Workshop
March 24, 2016
"Joint Survey on Corporate Support for Disability Sports
- Corporate Activities for Promoting the Realization of an Inclusive Society -"
The Nippon Foundation Paralympic Research Group and the Development Bank of Japan Inc. conducted a joint survey on corporate support for sports for people with disabilities. While the importance of corporate support in this area is increasing, the ways in which it is provided are diverse, and many aspects of the circumstances are not publicly known. We conducted interviews with companies and compiled a report in an effort to shed light on the actual state of corporate support for disability sports.
The interviews were conducted between June and October 2015, with 10 companies from different business sectors including an insurance company, manufacturers (wheelchairs, prosthetics and orthotics, electrical equipment and sports equipment), a construction company, and a general trading company. We also conducted an additional survey of 8 companies on their employment of athletes with disabilities.
The interviews revealed that each company contributed in various ways to disability sports as part of their social contribution activities, and made various arrangements to employ athletes with disabilities. The interviews also confirmed that support for disability sports had various tangible and intangible benefits for the companies, such as the accumulation of know-how with potential application in core business areas, for example product development, and the development of a sense of unity among employees and the promotion of diversity.
To add continuity and breadth to corporate activities that support disability sports, it is vital that these activities are positioned close to the core business base and that organized, systematic initiatives are deployed. Other possible effective means include communicating details of initiatives and know-how externally, and promoting projects in cooperation with other companies or other business sectors.
Our joint survey report can be viewed on our website (Japanese only).