Uniqlo Receives Seoul Mayor's Award at Seoul Social Contribution Awards

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Global fashion brand Uniqlo received the Seoul Mayor's Award at the '2020 Seoul Social Contribution Awards' ceremony held on the 26th for its clothing reform support campaign for people with disabilities, conducted in collaboration with the Korea Cerebral Palsy Welfare Association.

The clothing reform support campaign for people with disabilities is a social contribution activity that Uniqlo has been conducting since 2019 together with the Korea Cerebral Palsy Welfare Association and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to help improve the daily lives of people with disabilities through clothing.

This campaign targets people with brain lesions who experience discomfort wearing ready-made clothes due to their disabilities. After individual consultations with assistive technology specialists who have expertise in disabilities and tailors with over 10 years of clothing alteration experience, customized clothing is provided considering each participant's physical characteristics and preferences.

This year, the campaign expanded its reach beyond Seoul to Busan, supporting approximately 800 people with brain lesions by providing a total of 4,000 reformed clothing items twice a year.

Now in its fourth year, the Seoul Social Contribution Awards is an event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Welfare Foundation to promote various institutions' social contribution activities and foster a culture of sharing by discovering and awarding excellent social contribution programs in the social welfare sector.

The awards target cases where two or more institutions, such as corporations and non-profit organizations, collaborate. Programs are evaluated based on systematization, effectiveness, and partnership, selecting and awarding a total of 10 excellent programs from 26 institutions.

Uniqlo is committed to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through various activities. As of the end of September, Uniqlo recorded a disability employment rate of 6.9%, more than twice the legally mandated employment rate of 3.1%. In particular, by actively employing people with severe disabilities, Uniqlo provides opportunities for social independence.

Uniqlo also conducts field-centered job experience programs in cooperation with the Jung-gu Disabled Welfare Center in Incheon Metropolitan City to help people with severe disabilities improve social adaptation and job skills by working in general business establishments.