Panasonic’s Inclusive Design Initiative has received the Zero Project Award 2026 for its work in advancing accessibility and disability inclusion. The recognition reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to address social challenges by collaborating with people with disabilities and a broad group of stakeholders through a cocreation approach.
The Zero Project Award, established by the Essl Foundation in 2008, aims to highlight practices that support the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Since 2014, the award ceremony has been held annually at the United Nations Office in Vienna. Each year focuses on one of four rotating themes. For 2026, the theme “ICT and Accessibility” received 586 submissions from 93 countries, with 75 initiatives selected after a detailed evaluation involving around 400 experts.
Panasonic’s approach involves cross-functional participation, engaging teams from Engineering, Business Development, Human Resources, and design functions. The initiative brings together people with disabilities, researchers, and specialists to identify issues, test ideas, and develop practical solutions. It has also been embedded into internal training programs to build awareness and shared responsibility across different roles.
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