Shengjie Yao, Rongrong, and Xiaoji. They are all people with disabilities. They are also somebody’s brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. They are also employees of Inclusion Factory.
Four months with the Suzhou Broadcasting System (SBS) full of hard work later, we invite you to go on a journey with our documentary “There is Light”. Let’s explore places where the light shines!
With this video, we hope to let more people know that everyone has the right for equality in employment. These talented people with intellectual disabilities are typically seen as different. They do not lack the skills, they lack the opportunities to showcase their skills. Are you someone who is willing to give them a chance?
December 3 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This purpose of this day is to promote people’s understanding of the issue of disabilities, as well as mobilize their support for the dignity, rights, and happiness of persons with disabilities.
On this day, we had a chat with Marina, Director of Training and Development at Inclusion Factory, who took us on a short journey to get to know and understand “them”:
As the first factory set up by a German corporation in China for the welfare of persons with disabilities, the Inclusion Factory has committed itself to providing job opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities and supporting them to be better included in the society.
Today, there are 35 employees in the factory, majority of whom are persons intellectual disabilities.
Here, they work, having a stable income; they have also increased their capabilities, making new friends, and live more dignified lives.
Last year, five female employees with intellectual disabilities became fashion models and were part of a photoshoot for Zurita – a Spanish women’s fashion brand, showcasing that beauty belong to All.
This year, more than 900 square meters of space was designed and built with the plan to increase the number of employees in the factory to 50, so that more persons with intellectual disabilities will have employment opportunities.
“You work, they also work. You have dreams, so do they. We are actually all alike.”
To Marina, there are more similarities than differences between persons with disabilities and those without.
Everyone’s passion for life and hope for the future are the same.
In recent years, Taicang’s idea to “build a well-off society holistically without leaving persons with disabilities behind” has allowed more persons with disabilities to gain employment and be included into society.
Marina has been observing these movement.
She happily embraces the various changes, while also considering how more people can join in breaking down the “invisible wall” between persons with disabilities and those without.
Marina says that changing the “hardware” is the easy part. What is difficult to change is the “software”.
Hope that more families of persons with disabilities will change their mindset and attitudes and encourage their family members with disabilities to go out of their homes to work.
Hope that more people will interact with persons with disabilities on an equal level, not to pity people with disabilities, but rather listen, understand, and provide them with more opportunities.
Let us all live freely under the sun,
pursue a better and more inclusive society,
We are on the way.
Reporter Xu Jing/Caption Chen Yichuan/Video
Our mission at Inclusion Factory is inclusion of people with disabilities into society; our team as a whole, also has to strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment for all our staff members. We are all different in terms of abilities, skills, countries and the provinces we come from; we have different educational and career background, we vary in age, gender and marital status among other differences.
Our team has significantly grown in the past few years. Now, we are already a team of 44 people! As our team has grown bigger, and we all focus on our own daily tasks, we don′t have time to reflect what it means for us as a team to work together towards our mission of promoting inclusion in China.
ICUnet helps capitalize on culture. We provide training, coaching, consulting and facilitation. Our customized portfolio includes localization of corporate culture programs, strategic workshops for global project roll outs, leadership skills for culturally diverse teams and overseas assignment training for hundreds of executives. We are a German, family owned business and our current Asia-Pacific clients include: Geely, BMW, Daimler, BASF, Beiersdorf, Brose, C-Trip, Siemens, Neusoft.
About CUnet
ICUnet helps capitalize on culture. ICUnet provide training, coaching, consulting and facilitation. Our customized portfolio includes localization of corporate culture programs, strategic workshops for global project roll outs, leadership skills for culturally diverse teams and overseas assignment training for hundreds of executives. We are a German, family owned business and our current Asia-Pacific clients include: Geely, BMW, Daimler, BASF, Beiersdorf, C-Trip, Siemens, Neusoft.
On the evening of May 30th, Taicang Inclusion Factory was honored to become winner of the “More than a Market Awards” for outstanding efforts in social engagement. After being the winner in 2016, Inclusion Factory won this year again with their project “Inclusion Advisory”.
Inclusion Factory has been engaged in facilitating the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities into society through vocational training and meaningful employment. In 2018, the company launched the Inclusion Advisory with the aim to provide professional support to enterprises that are seeking to employ people with intellectual disabilities in their operations.
Flex, one of the world top 500 electronics manufacturer, was the first to heed the call. In 2018, Flex decided to venture even further. After an intensive cooperation with the Taicang Inclusion Advisory, the two partners created Flex’s Mechanical Inclusive Factory; currently hiring 10 people with intellectual disabilities working in a production line. After having received “More than a Market Award”, the Inclusion Advisory hopes to further promote its model of inclusive employment into companies around China. We hope that even more people with intellectual disabilities could benefit from it and find a meaningful employment.
The Taicang Inclusion Factory would like to thank Taicang municipal government and the Taicang Economy Development Area Bureau for awarding our project with the 2017 social responsibility award!
The inclusion Factory project could not have become a reality without the strong cooperation, outstanding support and innovative spirit of the Taicang Local government!
Taicang is known for setting the standards for High-quality manufacturing and solid cooperation with foreign enterprises; Now, Taicang is also known for its leading role in promoting social inclusion and the creation of equal opportunities for people with disabilities in our society!
Thank you!
And may we have an even more prosperous 2018, together!
一圈，两圈，三圈。滕希将一个锥形弹簧套在螺钉上，弹簧由密到梳，他拧完最后一圈停手，微蹙的眉头解开，脸上绽出笑容，说了一句“YES！”
滕希是一名心智障碍者，今年是他在江苏太仓中德善美实业有限公司（下称“中德善美”）工作的第三年。这是他第一次组装排风扇。培训师花了大概半小时，教他把扇板、插杆、瓷座等逐步组装成排风扇部件，最后一步就是安装锥形弹簧的“天线”。
组装有6个步骤，对滕希来说并不容易。“他们都很聪明，但最大的挑战是记忆力。”培训师魏欣彤说，重复多次后可以完全掌握，但如果一段时间不做，教会的东西又会忘记。学会之后，他们完成一个零部件的时间大约是普通人的两到三倍。
下班后，滕希在朋友圈发了四张自己的工作照，说“培训师让我做新的活”。在中德善美，滕希还有二十个同为心智障碍者的同事。他们每天的工作时间不到7小时，月工资有1800多元，享有五险一金、双休日和法定假期。
(Article published in German Chamber magazine GCTicker, issue Oct-Nov 2016, download PDF)
by OLIVIA HELVADJIAN
Industry 4.0 focuses on increasing efficiency, quality and flexibility, while adopting cyber connectivity. Where Industry 4.0 puts CPS (cyber-physical systems) in its focus, the Inclusion Factory’s Industry 3.5 concept focuses on human talents namely Talents with Disabilities (TwD). The aim is to provide challenged individuals with the training to produce demanding cable harnesses and assemble a variety of products using specially designed fixtures and machinery.
The Inclusion Factory is an innovative example of consolidated action; as part of the Taicang roundtable, more than 80 partners joined forces to establish the workshop, which is the first institution in China to offer a meaningful employment solution to individuals who are intellectually or physically challenged under real market conditions. The workshop is based on a model established in Germany by Lebenshilfe e.V. and focuses on becoming an integral part of the industrial value chain of companies operating in and around Taicang.
GC Ticker team met with Thilo Koeppe, chairman of the board of directors, Taicang Inclusion Factory to further discuss CSR in China and the Industry 3.5 concept.
What are the challenges and advantages of beginning CSR projects in China?
It’s hard to speak about this topic generally but I can tell you a little from our experience. The main challenge of starting a larger scale CSR project was certainly getting the local authorities intrigued by the concept and its potential impact. For us, the most important assets are the employees. Without the help of the local disabled federation we would not have been able to identify our Talents with Disabilities. Furthermore, we required governmental support to provide our employees with regular work permits and social insurance coverage. Consequently, the backing of the local authorities is key. Once those hurdles were successfully negotiated, the CSR engagement became highly rewarding due to amazing public interest helping us tremendously in increasing the number of supporting organizations. Read more
China Science & IT Park, 88 Beijing East Road, Suzhou, 215400 Jiangsu, China
中国江苏省苏州市太仓经济开发区北京东路88号 中科软件园 邮编：215400
t: +86 (0) 512 5386 3602
Financially supported by KFW DEG
KFW DEG (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH) finances private sector investments in developing countries in accordance with the economic cooperation and development policies of the Federal Republic of Germany. DEG financially supports the Inclusion Factory in recognition of our social mission.
