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VALUABLE
TRUTH
REPORT
2022

Tracking Progress In Global
Business Disability Inclusion

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Contents

Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

CONTENTSThis is an interactive report. You can navigate throughthe report by clicking on section or page titles.

Introduction—

4 A Letter From Our Founder
5 The Valuable 500
6 The Valuable 500 Members
8 Valuable Truth Contributors
11 The Nippon Foundation
12 The Value Of Belonging
15 Methodology

Report Findings—

17 Culture
27 Customer And Representation
36 C-Suite
43 Research And Reporting
49 COVID-19 And Well-Being
60 Accessibility And Inclusion By Design

Conclusion—
67 Conclusion

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Introduction

Report Findings

INTRODUCTION
4 A Letter From Our Founder
5 The Valuable 500
6 The Valuable 500 Members
8 Valuable Truth Contributors
11 The Nippon Foundation
12 The Value Of Belonging
15 Methodology
Conclusion

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Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

A Letter From Our Founder—Our 2022 Valuable Truth survey
is a testament to the commitment
the Collective has undertaken
to hold honest dialogues about
the challenges faced, andopenly share discoveries andbreakthroughs so we can all getbetter, together, faster.

Whilst each member of the Valuable 500 is at adifferent stage of their disability inclusion journey
this report highlights the importance of eliminatinggroupthink. By diversifying old notions of what itmeans to be inclusive and accessible we can lay aneffective framework that considers all parties. With
81% of our respondents stating an improvement on
their pre-pandemic disability strategies and 87% now
charting DE&I efforts within their annual report – weare certainly making progress. Nonetheless, empty
platitudes will no longer suffice, and the Collective are
actively moving from commitments to action.

There are so many accomplishments to keep us
focused on the long road in front of us. I am incredibly
proud of the strides taken by the Collective andgreatly anticipate the positive impact we will makeas we work together to drive system change acrossour six pillars: C-Suite, Culture, Customer, Reporting,
Representation, and Research.

The Valuable 500’s existence is not merely a businesscase on the merits of capitalising on disabled talent or
consumer share – it is a human case. Only by putting
disabled staff and customers at the heart of businessstrategies will companies rewrite the cultural narrativenecessary to transform how we do business. Inclusion
is about choice, equitable investment of resources,
and leadership. It is time for our intention to bereflected by greater action.

Only by putting disabled
staff and customers
at the heart ofbusiness strategies
will companies rewrite
the cultural narrativenecessary totransform how
we do business.
CAROLINE CASEY
FOUNDERTHE VALUABLE 500

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Report Findings

Conclusion

The Valuable 500—
The Valuable 500 was announced
at the World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting in January 2019.
Today, the Valuable 500 is thelargest community of Global
CEOs committed to disability
inclusion in business.

Since its creation, the Valuable 500 has achieved its
initial goal of getting 500 multi-national organisations
to make a public commitment to disability inclusion in
their organisation, igniting a historic global movement
for a new age of diversity in business. The Valuable
500 and their global impact partner, The Nippon
Foundation, will be working closely with the World
Economic Forum and International Disability Alliance –bringing together a leading philanthropic organisation
with the most prestigious global business network andthe voice of the global disability community.

By engaging with the world’s most influential businessleaders and brands, the network now has a combined
revenue of over $8 trillion, combined market capitalof $23 trillion, and employs a staggering 22 million
people worldwide. Its members include 15 global
CEOs and companies who will be spearheading thetransformation programmes and services to be offeredunder Phase 2 – under the pillars of Culture withinorganisations, C-Suite storytelling, the Customer
journey, Reporting, Representation and Research.
After reaching this important milestone, the Valuable
500 is determined to create a community that supports
and empowers its 500 members to systematicallytransform their businesses, so they include the 1.3
billion people living with disabilities worldwide, thereby
unlocking their business, social and economic potential.
We believe that if business takes the lead, society andgovernment will follow. Truly inclusive businesses canbuild truly inclusive societies.

The network now has a
combined revenue of over

$8 trillion
combined market capital of$23 trillion
and employs a staggering

22 million
people worldwide

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Introduction

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Conclusion

The Valuable 500 Members—
ABeam Consulting
Accenture
Accor
AcostaAddleshaw Goddard LLP
Adecco
Adobe
AESC
AGL
AIB Group
AIG Israel
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance
Airbnb, Inc.
AKBANK
Allegis Group
Allianz
Allied Global Services
AlstomAltriaAmerican Express
Amot Investments Ltd.
Amplifon
AMS
ANA
Anglo American
Anthem
ANZ
AON
APM
Apple
AramcoArkia
Aroma Espresso Bar
ARUP
AshurstAssuta Medical Centers Ltd.
Aston Martin
ATOS
Audi AG

Auto Trader
Aviva
AXA
Axel Springer
Ayalon Insurance Co. Ltd.
Azrieli Group Ltd.
B&Q
Babcock International
BAE Systems
Baker McKenzie
Bank Hapoalim
Bank of America
Bank of England
Bank of Ireland
Bank Yahav
Barclays
BarillaBarratt Developments Plc
BASF
Bayer
BBC
Benesse Holdings, Inc.
Bespoke Hotels
Bezeq
Bezeq International
Birds EyeBlack & Veatch
Bloomberg
BMW AGBNY Mellon
BoeingBoothsBoston Consulting Groupbp
Bradesco
BramblesBraunAbility
Bren Corporation
Brenntag

Bridgestone Corporation
Bristol Myers Squibb
British Airways
British Land
Britvic
Brookfield Properties
BT
Bupa
Burberry
Buzzfeed
Calvin Klein, Inc.
Canada Post
Canal Plus Group
Capco
Capgemini
Caretech Holdings PLC
Carnival UK
CBI
CellcomCenteneCentral Group
Centrica
Cerealto Siro Foods
CGI IT UK Limited
Channel 4Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
CIBC
Cinema City
Cinépolis
Circle Health Group
Cisco
Citigroup Inc
Citrix
CLAL Insurance
Clifford Chance
Clinigen Group
Close Brothers
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola European Partners

CognizantColes GroupColt
Comcast NBC Universal
Compass Group
Concentrix
Costain Group
Credit Suisse
Cummins
Daimler
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.
Dalata Hotel Group
Danske Bank
Deckers
Delek Group
Deloitte
Deloitte Tohmatsu Group
Deloitte UK
DentsuDeutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank India
Deutsche Bank UK
Digicel Group
Direct Line Group
DMM.com LLC
DNP Group
Dow
DPD Group
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories
DSM
DTE Energy
DTEK
DTSS
Dubai Expo 2020
DupontDynapack Asia
EBARA Corporation
EcolabEcopetrol

Edelman
EDF Energy
EDP
Egged
Electrocomponents Plc
EndavaEndesaEnel
ENEOS Holdings, Inc.
Enterprise Holdings
Euromoney Institutional Investor
European Investment Bank
European Space Agency
Eversheds Sutherland
Exal Corporation
ExpediaEY
FARFETCH
Fast Retailing
Fattal Hotels
Fidelity International
Financial Times
Firmenich
FleishmanHillard
Flex
FossilFreshfields
Fujitsu
Galaxy Surfactants Ltd.
Gatwick Airport
Gett Delivery
GHD
Gilbert + Tobin
Gleneagle GroupGNP Seguros
Gojek
GoogleGrafton Group
Grainger

Grant Thornton LLP
Greencore Group
Greene King
Greggs
GSK
GSMA
Gulf International Bank
H&M
Hachette UK
Harel Insurance
HCL
Heathrow Airport
HempelHerbert Smith Freehills
Hertz
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
HGS
HiltonHitachi GroupHOBAN Recruitment
Hogan Lovells
Hoxby Limited
HSBC
HSBC Mexico
HSBC UK
Hypovereinsbank
IBM
IFF
IHG
InMoment
Innocent Drinks
Inside Ideas Group & Oliver
Intel
InterbrandIntertek
InvescoIpsos Mori
Isracard Group
IsrotelISS A/SITV
IWG
JacobsJaguar Land RoverJapan Airlines
Jardine Motors
John Sisk & Son
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson Controls
Johnson Matthey
Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels
UK and Ireland
KantarKao Corporation
Kawada Technologies
KBZ Bank
Keelings
Keio Plaza Hotel
Kerry Foods
Keter
Kidzania
Kin + Carta
Kingsley Napley
Kmart
KNT-CTKOKUYO
Korn Ferry
KPMG
Kurt Geiger
L’OréalLaguna Clothing
LenovoLiberty Global
Lidl
Lilly
Linde Group
Linklaters LLP
Lloyd’s of London

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Conclusion

The Valuable 500 Members — Continued
Lloyds Banking Group
LogitechLondon Luton Airport
London Stock Exchange Group
Macquarie Group
Magic Leap, Inc.
Mahindra Group
Manpower
Marks & Spencer
Marui Group
Mastercard
Maximus
Maxon Group
Mazars
Mazda Motor Corporation
McCann Worldgroup
McLaren Racing
Medtronic
Meitav Dash
Menora Mivtachim
Merlin Entertainments
MersenMesoamerica
Michelin
Micron Technology
Microsoft
MintelMirvacMishcon de Reya
Mitsubishi Chemical
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
Monex Casa de Bolsa
Monex Group
Mount Sinai Health System
MphasisMSD
MullenLowe Group
National Australia Bank (NAB)
National Grid

Nationwide Building Society
NEC Corporation
Nestlé
News UK
NielsenNissan GB
Noritz Corporation
Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK)
Novartis AG
NTT Group
Nuance Communications
ÖAMTCOdgers Berndston
Old National Bank
Olive Bar & Kitchen
OM Metals Infraprojects Ltd
OMD Worldwide
Omnicom Group
OmniServ
OMRON
Onest Mexico
OracleOrangeOrnua Co-op
Ottobock
P&G
PageGroup
Partner
PaypalPearsonPelephone
PepsicoPerrigoPets at Home
Philip Morris International
PhilipsPhoenix Group
Pictet Group
Pinsent Masons LLP

Places LeisurePladisPorter Novelli
Prada Group
PremiQaMed Group
PSEG
Publicis Groupe
PVH Corporation
PwC
PwC Australia
PwC Austria
PwC Chile
PwC France
PwC Germany
PwC Italy
PwC Japan
PwC Netherlands
PwC Switzerland
PwC Turkey
PwC UK
Quadient
Quilter
Qurate Retail Group
Raiffeisen Bank International
Ralph Lauren
Randstad
RAPP
Reach plc
Reed Smith
Refinitiv
Regions BankRELXResource Solutions
Roche Products Ltd
Royal Bank of Scotland
RPG Group
RSA Group
RSM
Safaricom

Sage Group
Sainsburys
Salesforce
Sanofi
SanseraSantander
SantenSAP
Sarovar Hotels and Resorts
Savers
Savills
Savola GroupSchindler
Schindler China
Schindler India
Schlumberger
Schroders
Scottish Water
Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc.
Seibu Group
Seiko Holdings
Sekisui House, Ltd.
Sephora
Serco
ServiceNow
Shell
Shimizu Corporation
Shinsei Bank
Shionogi & Co.,Ltd.
Shiseido
Shizuoka Bank, Ltd.
SHL
Showa Denko
Shufersal
Siemens
Simmons & Simmons
SingtelSky
Skyscanner

SlalomSlater & Gordon
Slaughter and May
SMBC Group
Smurfit Kappa
SodexoSoftBank Corp.
Software AG
Sompo Group
SonevaSony GroupSony Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
Sony Music UK
Spark Minda GroupSpecsavers
Spotify
Springer Nature
SSEN
St James’s Place Wealth Mgmt
Standard Chartered Bank
Startek
State Street
Steelcase
Stephenson Harwood
Strauss
Sumitomo Life
Suntory Group
Super-pharmSuperdrug
Syngenta
Tag
Taisei Corporation
TaldorTara Chand Logistic Solutions
TD Bank Group
Telefonica
TelstraTesco
The Asahi Shimbun Company

The Clorox Company
The Estée Lauder Companies
The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group
The Migdal GroupThe Nippon Foundation
The San-in Godo Bank, Ltd.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
ThoughtWorks
TikTokTnuva GroupTommy Hilfiger
Total
TOTO Group
Travis Perkins
TrivagoTSB
Twitter
Tyson Foods
UBS
Ugg
Unicharm Group
UniCredit Bank Austria
Unicredit Group
UnileverUnisysUnited States Steel Corporation
Urban Research Co., Ltd.
Vaultex
VCCP
Verbund
Verizon
Vestas Wind Systems A/S
Viacom CBS
VindhyaVirginVirgin Active
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Media 02
Virgin Money/ CYBG

Virgin Red
VMWareVodafone
Vontier
Voya Financial
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
West Ham UnitedWestpac
Westrock
Whistl UK
WickesWillis Towers Watson
Wilson James
Wipro Limited
WIX
WPP
WSP
Xceed
XPS GroupYahoo
yes
Zain Group
Zalando
ZamZam Iran Co.
ZapposZebra Technologies
Zur Rose Group AG
Zurich Insurance Group
Zurich UK
Zwanenberg Foods

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Valuable Truth Contributors—
Denise Brodey, Author
Denise Brodey is the founderand CEO of Rebel Talent.
Under her leadership, Rebel Talent became the firstneurodivergent-led consulting and marketing firm tocreate training for top-level leaders and management
to understand their own mental health challenges,
learning and attention differences and use theirstrengths to help mentor and sponsor projects
focused on invisible disabilities. C-suite leaders
at universities, in ERGs and in neurodiverse talent
recruitment agencies are being approached andwill complete sponsor training in 2022.

Brodey is also an award-winning business and healthjournalist and author, whose book, ‘The Elephant in
the Playroom’, is now in its 8th printing. In 2021, she
was recognised as a Champion by Broad Futures forbreaking down barriers and erasing stigma. She is asenior contributor at Forbes and Psycom, has bylines
in The New York Times and Boston Globe, and has held
top management positions at Condé Nast, USA TODAY
and Meredith. Brodey is based in Boston and isproudly ADHD, dyslexic and is certified in Mental
Health First Aid.
elephants-everywhere.com

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Valuable Truth Contributors – Continued

C Space, Research
We believe in a better way of
doing business. Of treating
customers as humans. Not astargets, data points or subjects
who need convincing… but as
people who need a little help.
Being human is about valuing what’s important topeople – their emotions, their lives, dreams, realities.
It’s about building relationships between a company
and its customers on equal ground. Because
relationships are the source of results.

By humanising business – breaking down the walls,
departments and structures that keep customers
on the outside – companies can integrate the people
they’re trying to serve into the ways they work. To
create change. To weave customers into the fabricof a company’s culture. To see bigger possibilities forcustomers, employees, and business.
To maximise growth and minimise risk. Working withcustomers, on equal ground, for mutual benefit,
creating something we call Customer-Inspired Growth.
Find out more at www.cspace.com

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Conclusion

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Valuable Truth Contributors – Continued

ilumino, Accessibility
We at ilumino make it possible
for people and organisations tounderstand the WCAG guidelinesand develop a manageable andstrategic approach to achieving
their compliance goals.

We are proud members of the IAAP, and our teamis composed of senior accessibility experts anddevelopers. Having a development backgroundensures we deliver results with actionable feedback
and support to help with any brand requirements.
We are known for our flexibility to integrate into yourprocess and our white-glove support that fosters
the knowledge transfer to help your team grow. Ourservices span from accessibility audits to training,
remediation, and consulting. Find more information
about us at www.ilumino.co

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Conclusion

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The Nippon Foundation—

Founded in 1962, The Nippon Foundation is an independent, non-profit,
grant making foundation which provides humanitarian aid globally.

MR. YOHEI SASAKAWACHAIRMANTHE NIPPON FOUNDATION

Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

The Nippon Foundation’s disability portfolio
and philanthropic support is one of our largest
programmes. To date, we have invested $1.2 billion
USD for social inclusion of people with disabilities.
Our efforts reach countries throughout the world,with an especially strong focus on Southeast Asia.
We run various projects such as providing
opportunities for higher education to over 3,000
leaders with disabilities and deploying international
standard prosthetics and orthotics in health systemsof Southeast Asian countries, resulting in impacting
the lives of 500,000 patients throughout Asia.

Together with
the Valuable 500,
we promote economic
participation forpeople with disabilities.

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The Value Of Belonging—
For inclusion initiatives to make a lasting impact, companies
need to cultivate a sense of belonging.
One word? Yes. A simple concept? Possibly. Yet the truth within
this one-word concept is nothing short of revolutionary.
As we have seen through participation in the Valuable
500, companies reported that their progress on
inclusion is more focused and committed, better
informed and more closely aligned to their corebusiness, and strategically strengthened through thecollective work of the Valuable 500 CEO community.
That’s a lot of confidence and a lot of possibility.

The confidence and commitment now need to behighly focused in two ways: First, aligning words
with actions to make valuable contributions to
the disability landscape that are profitable forcompanies while also improving societal impact.
Second, broadening business perspectives
by leaning in and sharing more knowledge
across the corporate landscape, with consumers,
employees, and the disability community,
even when it is uncomfortable.

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Conclusion

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The Value Of Belonging – Continued

There was once a charitable notion that businesses
did good by hiring people with disabilities, but
the tables have turned. Now, it is imperative thatcompanies diversify their thinking about what itmeans to be inclusive for people with disabilities.
Disability is not a monolith: it appears in all shapes
and forms across all cultures, but one key thing it can
do is to bring shareholders, markets, suppliers, andconsumers far better products and more growth.

The Valuable Truth today is that global businesses
need to dive into the inclusion imperative, that the
future of work and consumerism includes an evergrowing disability presence, and companies needto move their inclusion strategies from concept andintention to concrete steps and actions. These actions
will improve business while having a societal impact
for the 1.3 billion disabled people living in this world.

These actions will improve businesswhile having a societal impact for the

1.3 billion
disabled people living in this world.

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Conclusion

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Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

The Value Of Belonging – Continued

The Valuable 500 companies, along with theirglobal company commitments, have people talking,but that is and must be just the beginning of the story.
Yes words matter, people’s stories matter. They’re
powerful, but there is no substitute for action.
The Valuable Truth 2022 is a call to engage.

Now is the time tomove from strategising
to bringing a cultureof inclusion andbelonging alive acrossthe value chain.

As Peter Drucker famously said, “culture eats
strategy for breakfast”. Now is the time to movefrom strategising to bringing a culture of inclusion
and belonging alive across the value chain.
It is everybody’s business.
So, as you read through the 2022 data, we begin
with a call to action: if you rolled up your sleeves
before, roll them up further. The heat is on. If you
are new to this work, you are in the right place forcollaboration and action.
This second report covers qualitative research thatshows where corporate efforts are successful, andwhere perception is greater than reality. Part of thatreality is the nature of the moment we are in following
a pandemic of historic proportions. Even our best
intentions are muddled by uncertain events beyond
the pandemic: global economics, politics,
and the health of our very own workforce.

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Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

Methodology—
We created a survey with thesupport of C Space, Savanta,
and ilumino to measure andunderstand the year-on-yearchange that our companies
have experienced within
their disability inclusion
and accessibility initiatives.

We asked companies a series of questions relating to
our transformation programme solutions (catering totheir customers, marketing representation, C-Suiteengagement, internal culture, research, and reporting).
These questions made up the core survey and willremain the same year on year. In 2022, we also added
an expanded section on self-identification efforts
and representation. We included a ‘tracking’ section
which allows us to add topical questions each year
as we see fit.

Survey and sample
specifications:— We sent a link to the survey tothe Valuable 500 Collective.
— Results of this report are anonymous.
— Fieldwork took place from29 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
To note: The following report captures year
on year movement where applicable. Any
differences noted are considered significantly
different (at 90% confidence level).

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Introduction

REPORT
FINDINGS
17 Culture
27 Customer And Representation
36 C-Suite
43 Research And Reporting
49 COVID-19 And Well-Being
60 Accessibility And Inclusion By Design

Report Findings

Conclusion

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Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

CULTURE
Culture is, in essence, an exercise in reaching potential.
We’ve referenced the 1.3 billion people living in this world
with a disability – but let’s focus on the workplace power
and potential being harnessed from this statistic whenlooked at as an under-tapped talent pool.
Many disabled employees are confident andthriving at work due to increased flexibility
and more autonomy over hours and location.
However, being seen as equal depends greatly
on a culture of inclusion and not being seen as‘less than’ by employees, at any level, who may belargely unfamilar with the lived experienceof disability.

People living in the world with disabilities havea distinctly less positive view of actions taken
towards inclusivity than the business world.
It is still difficult to account for the exact levelof difference between an employee’s trust
and a company’s intentions. What we do know
is that year-on-year data shows respondents(companies) feel they are improving at similar
rates as the previous year.

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Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

What Are The Trends?
—
The impact of the COVID-19
pandemic and global economic
downturn slowed, halted, orstalled major gains in employment
and culture improvements – but
has not dampened intention,commitment, or enthusiasm.
In 2022, 54% of companies said their organisation
has a disability inclusion accessibility policy in placevs. 58% in 2020. Half of the companies surveyed areessentially stuck at the halfway point. This downturn
needs to be further examined and considered inlight of the makeup of the first Valuable 500 survey
respondents (2020). The 2020 companies were early

adopters of the Collective movement, and many werequite advanced in their inclusion efforts. Companies
now represented within the Collective are at all levels(advanced, intermediate, and the early stages) of their
inclusion journeys.
Recruitment is a top priority – 74% of companies
report that they highlight the fact that they are an
inclusive employer when advertising. A majority are
drilling down to make sure the details of the hiring
process change and improve, too, adjusting theirinterview process (65%) and encouraging disabledapplicants to apply (62%).
Despite these efforts, overall, inclusive recruitment
efforts are stalled year on year, with no difference inresolving the most significant barriers reported as lackof staff awareness (49%) and lack of candidates (49%).

54%

of companies said
their organisation has
a disability inclusion
accessibility policy inplace vs. 58% in 2020.

74%of companies reportthat they highlight thefact that they are an
inclusive employer whenadvertising.

49%

reported a lack ofstaff awareness(49%) and lack ofcandidates (49%).

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What Are The Trends? – Continued—

Respondents noted big picture changes – for example,
a majority had a key internal role within their company
tasked with advancing disability inclusion. But day-today internal culture change remains flat per the data.
Companies report that they are actively investingin services and support for disabled employees;
70% have a resource network and/or a support
group in place. But investment in new disability
resources offerings remains flat year on year –and some key supports, such as executive
sponsorship, have dropped.

70%

have a resource network
and/or a support groupin place.

Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

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Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—89% 54% 81% 85% 70%
of respondents
feel that they havemade progresson their Valuable 500
commitment sincejoining the Collective.

have an active disability
inclusion accessibility
policy and 17% don’t
have one in place.
Year on year there
was no improvementon implementing
these policies.

of respondents reportthey are better placed
than last year;
18% feel that they
are in the same place.
(2020: 87% feel they
are better placed).

a re working to remove
the top barriers to
recruitment:
lack of staff awareness(49%) and lack ofcandidates (49%).
Year on year, there has
been no difference inseeing these barriers
being resolved forthe recruitment ofcandidates.

of companies havea resource network
and/or support group.
However, in comparison
to 2020, companies havenot made the same levelof advances in offering
disability resource
networks where one
did not exist previously.

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What’s On Their Minds?
—“ Some of the talks[with guest speakers
from the outside]
were particularly hardhitting and difficult tolisten to which werevery impactful.”“Having made commitments
externally has kept us
motivated and focused.
We set a high bar on ourtargets, but we are on
track (70% of pledges
completed) and now
progress must be reported
to the board.”“We have trained over 2,500 Mental
Health Advocates who signpost
colleagues to support… and we haveprovided resources. Our efforts
are paying off as we have seen an
increase in the number of colleagues
that feel comfortable to talk about
their mental health in our most recent
colleague survey.”“The level ofengagement(within thecompany) has
been quite low
and mainly
driven by us(CEOs).”

Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

21

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“A guide about disabilities
is available to every
employee to demystify
what disabilities are andto raise awareness of theimportance of individualand organisational practices
to support people withdisabilities daily.”“We did not have a strategy
for disability inclusion,
whereas now this is on thecompany’s agenda, and weare developing a plan totackle accessibility, media
and marketing, accessibility
and raising awareness within
our leadership teams.”“Providingincreased
flexibility in the workplace
and leveraging technology
to break down physicalbarriers where individuals
can complete work
remotely and opens up awider talent pool.”“We prepared anawareness module tointroduce disability
integration and present
the disability group policy.”“Most employees hada chance to workwith people withdisabilities and thiswas a really positive
learning experience.”“We have 1) revised ourrecruitment and selection
process, [and] 2) developed
inclusive recruitment guides
to support R&S operational
teams, HR professionals,
and managers on their
recruitment decisions.”

Contents

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
1.
2.
3.
Identify, promote,and follow leaders
who have the internal power
to create change and newopportunities and act on your
new understanding of what
employees and consumers
with disabilities need.
Top companies invested intheir disabled employees by
providing resources including
valuable disability pension
information, work experience
including internships,
and accessibility guidancefor professionals.

Share learnings

Utilise channels“We rewrote our Inclusive
Office Design Guides
which are now used by
our architects. We havecommissioned experts
in inclusive design
to support this work.”

including intranet, social
media, LinkedIn groups,
internal communications,
guest speakers, and Q&As
with C-Suite.

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CultureConclusion

4.

5.

Storytelling via
social media

Public messaging

and training on intranet
channels are two interactive
ways to engage employees –and make sure that messaging
is seamless and clear – acrossa variety of geographies and ina hybrid workforce.
One company’s verbatim
statement included
information on a public talk on
making the business case forinclusivity that garnered morethan 1 million views.

can bridge the emotional
divide between the amountof prejudice the disability
community feels and theperception of people who
do not have connections todisability. One company isbuilding a campaign aroundnew attitudes towards families
with disabilities; anothercampaign promotes inclusivity
in public life and spaces.

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CASE STUDYOVERVIEWThe Valuable Truth Commitment
In Action: Case Studies
The 2022 Valuable Truth Case Studies highlight impact actions taken by
Valuable 500 companies to advance disability inclusion across the value
chain. Each of these companies is making significant moves alongside its
initial commitment to inclusion and has moved towards implementation.

Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

23

Contents

CASE STUDY

Strong culturesof trust andbelonging areneeded to drive
participation.

Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

CULTURE

Valuable 500
Self-Identification Incubator­—“How many employees identify as having a disability” is the fundamental
question most companies cannot answer fully. This question is central
to guiding their inclusion journey and lies at the heart of assessing theeffectiveness of culture and recruitment programmes to meet employee
needs, and externally for public reporting and legal compliance, related
to disability employment mandates and data collection requirements.
The astute reader will most likely notice that theremaining case studies in the 2022 Valuable Truth
Report highlight examples of individual company
commitment to action and their resulting impact.
However, for culture, we feel the challenge of
employee disability data is critical to the future ofwork and requires the collective power of the Valuable
500 to address together. Getting to the answer (oranswers, given the range of applications) presents a
set of hurdles that not one company we know of has
solved at a global level. And it comes with importantquestions and needed involvement from individual
employees and disability experts.

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Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

CASE STUDY

Valuable 500 Self-Identification Incubator — Continued
So, here is how we are addressing the issue. The
Valuable 500 is bringing together interested member
companies, who employ millions collectively, all with arange of self-ID experience and approaches, to share
their learning, co-create, and collaborate. Convening
known experts from the disability field together withthese members, we are seeking a systemic solution
to corporate disability self-ID. The goal is to empowercompanies to collect and share harmonised self-ID
data for key disability employment metrics, enableconsistent approaches and meaningful reporting, andassist them in building an inclusive culture of trust andaction, rather than merely compliance.

The response has been tremendous. Following
targeted outreach to a small number of Valuable 500
companies with actual experience or investment in
the effort, we have eighteen companies and ten global
disability experts engaging in the self-ID Solution.
Immediate learnings: we have brokered one-to-one
company discussions and begun larger learning circles
that are reinforcing what we have learned from theValuable Truth, where results show 51% of companies
have completed or are in the process of completinga self-ID campaign. They confirm key challenges
around winning employee trust, differing definitionsof disability, and legislative hurdles. Time will tell
about the sea-change impact from this initiative as weengage with companies on a “design sprint” toward oursolution throughout 2022.

Some major takeaways from our
discussions so far are:
— Data collection must move from purecompliance toward inclusion.
— Strong cultures of trust and belonging areneeded to drive participation.
— Employees must know why they are disclosing,what is to be done with their data, and how
safe they are in the process.
— Culture data should drive investment on
improving hiring, promotion, retention, careerdevelopment. Data gives a voice.
— Self-ID is different than self-disclosure, which
often happens with one’s manager to obtain aworkplace adjustment or professional support.
— Privacy and security challenges must be
addressed.

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Important Definitions To Understand—

Important Definitions to Understand:Self-Identification and Self-Disclosure
are not the same thing.
Self-Identification (self-ID) is a “check the box”
data gathering exercise that says an employee
identifies or qualifies as disabled, a disabled
veteran, or someone with a chronic illness.
Companies most often ask for self-identification
through annual employee engagement surveys
or targeted campaigns to better understandemployee data.

Self-Disclosure often involves speaking
about a disability with a supervisor or humanresource manager to ask for workplace support,
accommodations, or awareness. Self-disclosure
can be about workplace needs and/or it canbe about wanting to be seen more fully in theworkplace as one’s authentic self.

Introduction

Report Findings
CultureConclusion

26

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

CUSTOMER AND
REPRESENTATION
What if you saw yourself truly reflected in a product - forexample an advert pictured someone with the exact samedisability as yours. And when you tried the product, it felt
made for you. Accessible. Flexible. Unique. Beautifully designed.
That’s exactly how the disabled consumer wants to feel.
When thinking of those who experiencedisability as a viable consumer market, it isimperative to continue to return to the numbers.
According to “The Return on Disability Report”
the disability market is larger than China and is
emerging as other markets have in the past –1.85 billion people (according to the CDC) and $1.9
trillion in annual disposable income. Consumer
insights experts also monitor and include thefriends and family of disabled individuals, whichadds another 3.4 billion potential consumers –who act on their emotional connection to people
with disabilities when it comes to spending
choices. Together, they control over $13 trillion
in annual disposable income. It is important tonote that the Valuable 500 currently uses the 1.3
billion population statistic from the World HealthOrganisation but recognise that other entities
use the 1 in 5 (1.85B) global population statistic.
It’s a huge market. And yet, most businesses
are only scratching the surface. Why?

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What Are The Trends?
—
CEOs and C-Suite leaders holda positive belief that things are
improving – 69% of companies
feature people with disabilities
in their communications ormarketing campaigns.
But the products and services for disabled consumers
often feel bolted on. More than 15% of the world has
a disability, but the societal stigmas disabled people
encounter are too often still considered niche.

69%

of companies
feature people withdisabilities in theircommunications ormarketing campaigns.

Data from Valuable Truth respondents reinforces what
consumers are seeing and saying: fewer than half ofcompanies are clear on the needs of their disabledconsumers. To win this substantial market segment,
companies will need to take action to align their positive
beliefs with reality. In the 2020 survey, companies werebeginning to understand the marketplace – how they
were doing competitively and how to better serve thedisabled consumer. An important note is that of the 500
company commitment statements, customer-focused
improvements are the second largest pool of disability
inclusion goals, behind commitments focused on>15%of the world has adisability, but the societal
stigmas disabled people
encounter are too often
still considered niche.

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

actions related to culture. You can find all thecompany commitment statements here:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/members
In 2022, the challenge will be to involve divisions
across the value chain to better understand consumer
needs and to actively listen to people with lived
experience at every stage, from development anddesign to marketing and distribution. As consumers
become more vocal about their needs, companies
must pay more attention to innovating and creating
experiences that are inclusive.
Valuable 500 companies’ verbatim comments
reassure disabled consumers that, despite theupheaval in global markets due to the pandemic, theircommitment level remains unchanged. But in line withthe data trends across culture, though intention andcommitment have remained unaffected, the current
climate has hindered progress over the last two years.

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Contents

Introduction

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

69% 70% 30% 44% 24%

have featured people
with disabilities incommunicationsin the last 12-month
period (66% sometimes,
14% usually).

would like moreproduction advice/guidance for creating
inclusive campaigns
and 77% seek casestudies from otherinclusive campaigns
to use as resources.

of respondents
have conducted
external researchon disabilities andacted on initiatives.

h ave not done external
research yet – efforts
have been stagnant
between 2020 to 2022.

are not currently
invested in exploring
inclusive design
innovation opportunities
for consumers(vs. 15% in 2020).

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What’s On Their Minds?
—

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“We supported public research on inclusive
service in core B2C areas and created open
recommendations for business on how todevelop an inclusive service.”“When addressing the community, words matter, and thecommunity has been hard at work developing a thoughtful
approach to bring difficult topics to the forefront andcreating space for members’ perspectives on topics.”“It is something we’d like to initiate but we needsome help in that space and we also need to
be open to the findings and to looking at ourbusiness with a different eye.”“There is no direct
investment in the
disabled consumer
or disability market.”30

Contents

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
The Valuable 500 companies can expect
to see greater results by learning fromcolleagues, sharing resources, seeking
external expertise, and by accessing more
frequent and relevant corporate casestudies. Knowledge sharing is at thecore of the Valuable 500 mission
to revolutionise disability inclusion.
It is through leadership that culture and brands transform.
A company that makes a specific commitment and investment
around one area, such as HR, digital transformation, or consumer
experience, is often driven by a small number of employees.
Making those efforts more widely known internally and externallycan exponentially hasten progress.

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

31

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CASE STUDY

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

32

CUSTOMER

P&G­—
Whether you follow the research positioning the global disability populationas 1 in 7 people (1.3B) or 1 in 5 people (1.85B), it does not change the factthat this is a significant and rapidly growing consumer market. Valuable
500 Iconic Member P&G recognises this truth and is actively harnessing
the power of disability ingenuity to improve product design – by using theinsights of those with lived experience across the creative process.

DAVID S. TAYLOREXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
P&G
P&G Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/member/pg
P&G Website:
https://us.pg.com/

The initiative encompasses product ideation,
packaging, advertising, and facilities to create
improved and accessible brand experiences. Only
4% of companies are actively designing products forpeople with disabilities, and P&G is at the forefrontof this movement. Over the past year, several

brands launched multiple products with improved
accessibility. For example, the Herbal Essence haircare line added touch inclusion features – tactile lines
on the shampoo bottle and dots on the conditioner
bottle to address the needs of the 253M people aroundthe world who are blind or have low-vision.

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

CASE STUDY

P&G – Continued
That statistic represents the combined populationsof Mexico and Japan. Additionally, P&G responded
to feedback about the difficulty in opening Olay jars
for people with motor skill disabilities, the aging
population, and the visually impaired. As a part ofthe design assessment the Olay team realised theyneeded to focus not on the lid but on the cover disk.

The results of testing, feedback, and assessments led
P&G to a newly designed disk that is easier to lift for
all consumers. The Olay team also recently announced
a limited-edition prototype – a winged outer cap– developed for “consumers with a wide range ofconditions, from dexterity issues, limb differences,to chronic issues causing joint pain and vision
impairments.” The prototype will be available only

Only 4% of companies are actively
designing products for people
with disabilities, and P&G is at theforefront of this movement.

online. The consumer-forward commitment did not
end with product design but is extending to inclusive
advertising with the addition of audio descriptions
across most of their ads in the UK, US, and Spain.
And, if you missed the Sunday edition of the New YorkTimes featuring the winged cap prototype, you missed
a company using critical advertising resources tohighlight an inclusive product.
The Valuable 500 knows companies are at the
beginning of a watershed moment of truly inclusive
and accessible design for disabled consumers.
Companies like P&G are leading the way bydemonstrating that inclusive design is a profit
centre, driven by the huge market of disabledconsumers, friends and loved ones.

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CASE STUDY

Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

REPRESENTATIONITV­—All it takes is a quick read of ITV’s Diversity Acceleration
Plan, commitment statement, and understanding of theirinvestment in disability representation to know thatthe oldest commercial network in the UK is incredibly
progressive and forward-looking when it comes to disability
inclusion efforts both in front of and behind the camera.

CAROLYN MCCALLCEOITVITV Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/member/itv
ITV Website:
https://www.itv.com/

It is stepping boldly into representation efforts withthe goal that 10% of all on-screen talent will have aperceived disability. In 2021, working in partnershipwith Scope and ITV Creative, ITV launched anon-air marketing campaign to highlight invisible
disabilities, as part of their commitment to help
create culture change around disability perception.

Their ITV Signpost division is employing at least
50% disabled crew on every production and is also
committed to running a new trainee scheme with the
British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust for Deaf
filmmakers and production talent breaking into theindustry. Their website also clearly highlights theprocess for prospective disabled applicants as well

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Introduction

Report Findings
Customer And
Representation

Conclusion

CASE STUDYITV – Continued
as the protection and support they will receive in theemployment process. All of this, while 2021 figures
were lining up to be ITV Hub’s biggest year yet. ITV
also more than doubled the amount of content on ITV
in 2021. ITV’s Managing Director, Rufus Radcliffe said,“2021 has been a terrific year of growth for ITV Hub…
it’s a testament to our fantastic programmes, as wellas the improvements we’re making to the service,that this year is on track to be our most successful

year yet.” The number of ITV Hub users grew by 20%
in 2021, and to date the ITV Hub has achieved 1.5
billion streams, up 26% year on year. These figures
are critical to the conversation that growth andfiscal responsibility and viability are not sacrificed,
but in fact can be enhanced and cultures improved– when companies embrace inclusion efforts acrossemployment and core business objectives.

ITV’s Signpost division is
employing at least50%

disabled crew on every production

These figures are critical to the conversation
showing growth and fiscal responsibility are
not sacrificed, but in fact can be enhanced.

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Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

C-SUITE
The business case for inclusion and accessibility is undeniable.
Though the community is anything but a monolith, when taken
as a whole, the sheer size of the talent pool, the depth of theconsumer market, and the benefit in accessible and inclusive
design, means that competitive companies must take thetrends seriously.
Now is the time to build competence in top
leaders and grow executive sponsorship ofinclusion that goes beyond conversationand exploration. Now is the time to bring theconversation to the board agenda and ensurethat more CEOs, like the 500 CEOs within the
Valuable 500, are using their position of
power to advance inclusion.

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Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

What Are The Trends?
—
This year we found a clear
disconnect between actions
taken to improve disability
inclusion and some of theoverall outcomes and results.
81% of respondents said they
are in a better place when it
comes to their inclusion
strategy and initiatives thanpre-pandemic. They describe
their efforts as ‘advancing’.

81%

While the world is changing quickly, the essentials
of moving forward will be familiar to most leaders – a
combination of empathy, innovation, risk-taking, andlistening. None of those seem to be in short supply.
Inclusion is not, by nature, a solo pursuit. The Valuable
500 was formed to surface the best practices and to
give insights to decision-makers that would lead togoals aligned with the core of the business, actionable
steps, and forward movement – using a collective ofhigh-level learnings to prove profitability and impact.
The singular position of the Valuable 500, when it
comes to disability inclusion, is its ability to provide
trends and insights across 500 companies frommultiple industries, employee bases, and geographies.

of respondents said they are in a better place when it comes to their
inclusion strategy and initiatives than pre-pandemic. They describe
their efforts as ‘advancing’.

Communicating to many: leadership priorities have abetter chance of adoption if they are communicatedthroughout the corporate ecosystem, on digitalplatforms, within departments, and via person-toperson interaction with passionate advocates.
Crucial to success: executive sponsors experienced
in navigating across departments who may have vastlydifferent priorities and experience with inclusion.
Disabled talent is in demand but it’s not being
mentored. The need for more executive sponsors
is clear, particularly leaders with lived experience.
However, only 3% of leaders openly discuss theirdisability or primary caregiving role.

3%of leaders openly discuss
their disability or primary
caregiving role.

37

Contents

Introduction

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—

59% 54% 4%of respondents h ave
an executive sponsor
responsible for thecompany’s disability
inclusion performance(down from 74% in 2020).

of respondents
have a disability
policy in place(vs. 58% in 2020).

have had to pause
efforts around thisissue while focusing
on COVID-19(vs. 14% in 2020).

Report Findings
C-Suite3%of leadership openly
discuss their own
disability or primary
caregiving role.

Conclusion

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What’s On Their Minds?
—“We refer often to our commitment with the Valuable
500 to reinforce the message and to push on more
results thanks to the benchmark we can do withother companies. But at the same time, we hope ina next step to reinforce and refresh this message in
an interview with our CEO, a case study on inclusive
mobility, and more.”

Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“Our executive sponsorship is strong – we have renewed enthusiasm andsupport through our Executive Sponsor and CHRO (Chief Human Resources
Officer) who are championing our burgeoning Disability BRG (BusinessResource Group). Participation has increased dramatically in this BRG overthe course of 2021 (about 500%), and we are supporting our commitment tocreating safe spaces for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.”“In order to increase the employment and active participation of persons withdisabilities, we actively carried out PR and sales activities within the groupcompanies and increased the amount of work. Specifically, we appealed
our efforts on the intranet, worked on key people in each department, andrequested cooperation in promoting the utilisation of persons with disabilities
at department head meetings of each department.”“Creation of a senior leadership teamdedicated to advancing what ourorganisation does for our disabled colleagues,
and creation of a global recruitment teamto evaluate and improve our recruitment
practices globally so they are more inclusive.”39

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
C-Suite leadership, specifically CEOs, need to become comfortable withthe “uncomfortable”. Candid and effective storytelling by CEOs andC-Suite leadership about their direct connection to disability throughlived experience or family connections will unlock culture barriers andaddress critical leadership representation. Edelman’s trust barometerhas shown year on year that direct connections and personalisation
are key to brand trust and loyalty. Storytelling and disability training at
the executive level is the first step toward this goal.
C-Suite leadership, specifically CEOs, need to

become comfortable withthe “uncomfortable”.

Invest in disability talent at the upper managementlevels so that people with lived experience are rising
into executive levels and changing the landscape of
tomorrow’s C-Suite.
Create a disability council across business lines thatis responsible for reporting progress to the CEO about
inclusion goal gains on a quarterly or annual basis. It’s
imperative to ensure that P&L divisions are includedin the conversation to understand how innovation andaccessible design thinking can drive profitability.

40

Contents

CASE STUDY

Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

C-SUITEPWC­—
PwC outlined an extremely specific commitment at the global level:
to “appoint a Global Disability Leader”. The impact behind this onesentence commitment cannot be underestimated or understated. In
2021, this global solutions powerhouse, which calls itself a “passionate
community of solvers coming together in unexpected ways”, appointed
Leandro Camilo, a partner in PwC Brazil, as Global Disability Leader
with a mandate to drive accelerated change across the network.
BOB MORITZ
GLOBAL CHAIRMAN
PWC
PwC Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/member/pwc
PwC Website:
https://www.pwc.com/us/en

Research on the Valuable 500 conducted in 2021
in conjunction with Tortoise Media highlighted theabsence of disability roles within the C-Suite as well as
among board directors, finding that within FTSE 100
companies there were zero executives with a known
disability. This statistic is both stark and staggeringand simply does not add up when compared tothe actual percentages of disabled people in the
population. This means that increasing the presenceof executives with disabilities and of C-Suite roles
with a disability inclusion business mandate is gamechanging. The Valuable 500 exists to bring disability

41

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Introduction

Report Findings
C-SuiteConclusion

CASE STUDY

PWC – Continued
to the leadership agenda and PwC answered that callin force with the global commitment by Chairman Bob
Moritz and with eleven of its divisions then following
suit with individual firm commitments – the most of
any company within the Valuable 500 Collective. The
most recent commitment is from PwC Japan, under
the leadership of Group Chairman and Territory SeniorPartner, Koichiro Kimura. PwC Japan created a multipronged commitment to build a stronger inclusion
culture through its “Be yourself. Be different.”
initiative, removing employment barriers for people
with disabilities, and supporting a programme forathletes with disabilities. Additional examples are
PwC Australia’s Ability@PwC employee network which
delivered disability confidence training firm-wide inAustralia, and PwC Brazil’s Mentoring Programme(launched in 2021) to eliminate barriers and enhance

the careers of employees with disabilities throughinternal process improvements, soft and hard skills
development, and one-to-one mentoring sessions
with PwC Brazil partners. Example after exampleof PwC’s commitment in action highlights that theirsignificant leaders are rolling up their sleeves toadvance the work of inclusion across the corporation.

This means increasing the presence ofexecutives with disabilities and C-Suite
roles with a disability inclusion businessmandate is game-changing.

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Introduction

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

RESEARCH AND
REPORTING
The declared intention, forward movement, and tipping
point of corporate action to advance disability inclusionmust be recognised for what it is - momentous.
Why is this an important preface to researchand reporting? Because the en masse businessmovement of disability inclusion is in its
incubation and proof point period. What waits
ahead are stronger linkages to the profitability
derived from inclusive cultures, and accessibility
by design products and systems.

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Introduction

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

Research And Reporting – Continued—
We take this work seriously – it’s more than backing
up a business case long believed to be true, it’s
about measuring it. The data will systemically andsystematically lead the way, demonstrating thatcompanies who embrace accessibility and inclusion
have a fiscal edge. The reality is that we’re not there yet.
We believe this deeply enough that we’ve chosen not
to include a research and reporting case study in the2022 report. The way forward is clear. We are working
with companies to delve into their own ESG data andmateriality assessments, begin reporting outcomes at
all levels and in multiple ways (internally, at board level,
and within annual reports).

We are working to advance the connection andaddition of disability to global indices, ESG standards
and frameworks, and public disclosures. Without adoubt, the power lies within the data. This is the heartof what is ahead for the Valuable 500 – transparent,
game-changing, irrefutable data proves that inclusion
by design is an integral lever to the future of work
across the corporate value chain.

This is the heart ofwhat is ahead for
the Valuable 500 –transparent, gamechanging, irrefutabledata proves that
inclusion by design
is an integral leverto the future of work
across the corporate
value chain.

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What Are The Trends?
—
Connecting brand to beliefs isthe next step in the disability
journey. There is no way to buy
consumer trust. But there are
new ways to find it. As ourresearch shows, experimentation
and active listening that focuseson the public and disability aresolid investments.
Turning goals into actions, even having a model forsystem change, can be thrown off course quickly
by local and regional legislation that prevents datacollection. These laws, and cultural sensitivity to
the disclosure of any kind of disability, vary widely

by culture. Southeast Asian countries reported nothaving many official structures yet to identify andsupport people with disabilities. In other places, suchas Brazil, employment quotas and the adopting of
positive measures exist. Still, strong granular datathat might help shape programmes is unavailable andit is most difficult for global companies that exist insome instances in up to 70 countries.
In the absence of reporting or research availability,
some Valuable 500 companies are pushing forwardwith special programmes and collaborations,
including fruitful partnerships and self-identification
campaigns. Tools to educate and build awareness,promote advocacy, and provide support, are all partof the Valuable Transformation Programme currently
in development.

Introduction

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

45

Contents

Introduction

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

47% 45% 50% 87% 56%
of respondents
have researchedbrand integration
and usability.

reported that productinnovation and businessdevelopment teams
do research arounddisability.

disclose disability
data internallymore often than
externally.

of respondents
include a section onsocial investment
and/or diversity,
equity, and inclusion
efforts in theirannual report.

of respondents
mention their
participation in the
Valuable 500
in theirannual report.

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What’s On Their Minds?
—“We supported publicresearch on inclusive
service in core B2C
areas and createdopen recommendations
for business on how
to develop inclusive
services.”“Weengagedwith a disability
specialist
organisation
to conduct anaudit of ourrecruitment
processes.”“Regional legislation has
made data collection very
difficult, and we have low
rates of employees willingto share in some locations
where it is particularly
culturally sensitive to ask
employees to share.”“Understanding how many ofour people identify as being
disabled or having relevant
caring responsibilities and trying
to understand their needs [is achallenge that] keeps us fromidentifying ways we can further[provide] support.”

Introduction

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

47

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“We report our disability data to the Board on a quarterly basis and haveintroduced a new real-time diversity reporting tool at the leadership level
which looks at representation, attrition, and pay gaps broken down bydepartments, which allows for greater transparency and accountability. We
have made a commitment to doubling our workforce disability target from 6 to
12% by 2023. We continue to provide information to our leadership team andprovide updates on our employee targets with our employees. We’re currently
measuring 11% disabled employees with a target of 12% by 2023.”“Knowingthe‘type’ would allow
companies todemystify thelarge spectrumof disabilities andto better direct[their] efforts.”“Local
andregionallegislation
prevents
disability datacollection.”“We still havenot been able
to researchand report due
to resource
constraints.”“To share our pledge to further
disability inclusion with our businessand the world, we have continued toshare our support and actions with ourinternal organisation and externallythrough... Company-wide emails, DEI
events hosted internally and during ourPeople with Disabilities conferences.”Contents

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
1.
2.
3.
Partnerships: “Inspired by
the Valuable 500 approach,
we gained a partnershipwith institutes of higher
education and othercorporate Valuable 500
members and social
enterprise.”“Flipping the script onrisk mitigation. With somuch emphasis on reducing
exposure, it may be possible
to take learnings andtransform them into positive
actions that benefit people
in the organisation.
That is exactly what the
Valuable 500 Iconic
members have set as agoal – to build vision,
strategy and engagement,
all positives, and embed
positive disability inclusion
into an ecosystem of CEOs.”“Being open to difficult
conversations about
research from pulse surveys
and employee surveys.”

Introduction

Report Findings
Research And
ReportingConclusion

4.

5.

“Connecting learnings
from internal research on
disability to the businesscase for disability
employment from leaders in
the field, such as Microsoft,which is now an Iconic Leaderof the Valuable 500.”

Being accountable,transparent, & getting thenumbers out: Reporting
employment data, both to theboard and in external annual
reports, are best practiceactions. Forward-thinking
companies are including
DEIA data as a part of their
Environmental Sustainability
Goals (ESGs). Making specificcommitments to targeted
populations, specificallydisability, about representation,
attrition, pay gaps, andpromotions into leadershipare action examples from theleading inclusion actors.

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Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

COVID-19 AND
WELL-BEING
Pandemic shifts, such as hybrid work and protecting frontline
workers, required a degree of flexibility many companies
may not have thought previously possible. But changes tothe workplace puzzle demanded that leadership put a new‘normal’ into place, and fast.
This ability to find a new flow suggests that theearly stages of change don’t need to move slowly
in order to protect productivity and establishedprocesses. Members of the Valuable 500 are at
a crucial tipping point – now is the time to moveinto action for the very same reason as during
the pandemic - the well-being of a company’s
employees is their business.

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What Are The Trends?
—
COVID-19 changed us inprofound and uncomfortableways, and redefining well-being
as a workplace right and aright in which everyone shares
responsibility was one of them.
This new world order impacted disability inclusivity
efforts in positive ways, spotlighting conflicts thatneeded to be solved, and helping people commit
to goals. The heightened focus on well-being andworkplace flexibility addressed issues disabled workers
have raised for decades but have often been told are
too expensive or time consuming to tackle.

Words followed by action is the next phase of disability
inclusion. In 2020, surprisingly few companies
paused inclusivity plans to focus on bigger businesschallenges, and trends show that efforts areproceeding. Actions will separate the true change
makers in the inclusion movement from those
who can’t reduce disability to anything other thana category or number. This is about being human,connecting people across departments and evencountries, not to agree on generalisations, but to help
individuals feel more welcome, respected, and valued.

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

So that the work can be more innovative, productive,
and consistent across the board.
Some of these changes are well under way, those thatconcern hybrid working models, recruitment throughvirtual and digital platforms, and more inclusive
onboarding options. Respondents told us verbatim in
their comments that they understood the experiencesof people with disabilities in greater depth and had
uncomfortable conversations.

Empathy sprouted in unlikely ways, but room for growth
was sometimes missed in the most obvious places, suchas reporting disability at the board level (15%) or investingin accessible design (less than 25%).

50

Contents

Introduction

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

14% 54% 51% 65% 68%

of com panies paused
their disability efforts
because of COVID-19 in
2020; 4% have continued
to pause in 2021/22. The
inverse is that 82% ofcompanies did not pause
their actions and efforts
due to COVID-19.

are as committed
to inclusion as
they were in 2020
when COVID-19
upended the world.

completed or are in
the process ofcompleting a selfdisclosure campaignthat will help to tailor
health and well-being
offerings to employees’
needs, such as dealing
with the impact of
COVID-19.

of companies
include interview
adjustments in their top
3 recruitment changes
that encourage
inclusivity andadvertise as an inclusive
employer (74%).

of CEOs communicatedinternally about thecompany’s commitment
to disability inclusion.

51

Contents

What’s On Their Minds?
—“This year provedthat greater flexibility
at work is highly valued
by team members,
supportive of disability
inclusion, sustainable
for enterprises, anda competitive
business driver.”“COVID-19 has caused
serious economic
damages to our markets.
We have been forced todecrease [the] number ofinvestments and madeorganisational changes.”“Due to COVID-19 we realise morethan ever that the work and efforts
we do on disability inclusion [are]needed for this group. Our businessis still the same, but we need to build
on ongoing efforts to provide more
career opportunities and greater
workplace inclusion for people livingwith disabilities at our company.”“COVID-19 didn’tchange ourperspective
on disability.”

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“In some ways, the pandemic
has helped us support those
who are disabled to work more
comfortably through remote
working, [fewer] accessibility
issues, less societal pressure.
Others have found it more difficultin getting the right IT equipment
and tailored chairs/software.”“It has been challenging toaccommodate everyone’s
needs due to not only the
pandemic but also becauseof the political situation.”“We havecared more forflexible work
arrangements,
remote work
infrastructure,
employees’
mental wellness.”“We understand theexperience of staff withdisabilities [who] weredisproportionately impacted
by the pandemic.”“Our aim is to foster
an environment thatprovides individuals
with apparent and nonapparent disabilities thepsychological safety
required to self-identify
as such. We have long
had a self-identification
process in place, though[we] have recently begun
an initiative to revamp
our approach by seeking
updated legal advice toexpand the jurisdictions
in which we capture
disability personal
identification aroundthe globe.”

52

Contents

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
The dysfunctions of a team that
affect overall well-being are notalways easy to see until people
sit down with those outside theirorganisation and compare notes.
Asking about company norms during COVID-19, sharing
vision statements, explaining how targets are decided
upon now that the pandemic is in its third year, andlistening to people with lived experience are valuableways to gain knowledge and bring it back to the office
to share with others.
Talking more about the case for inclusion and how
well-being and health improve the bottom line is a
win-win. Not only will you see a rise in engagement

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

in teams that may have been sceptical of such
efforts, you are also validating the people who need it
most – those working in your organisation who havedisabilities but have never had a platform in which todiscuss it.
Knowing that CEOs play an outsize role incommunicating priorities and helping to find corporate
sponsorship for inclusion efforts, it’s wise to think
about regularly sharing communications about
disability inclusion progress in the coming years.
Communications internally must now shift to what isbeing done, who is spearheading projects, and how
to learn more about the progress of initiatives acrossindustries ranging from transportation to fashion,from Boston to Bali.

53

Contents

CASE STUDY

The hope is thatthe gains… will
not slide backdown the hill to
pre-pandemic
practices.

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

COVID-19 AND WELL-BEING

COVID-19­—
It is not a revolutionary statement to say that the life-altering
disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the mental healthlandscape in all of its aspects. Areas on the rise over the past two
years include: increased awareness, increased need for and use ofmental health services, and an influx of demands from employees andconsumers to provide workplace flexibility, well-being support, andtechnology solutions to help all of us function in this new “normal”.
While these are all adaptations voiced for decades
as important for equitable inclusion by the disability
community, it was not until an uncontrollable force
mandated a shift that the global business community
reacted in masse. The hope is that the gains –updated accommodation and well-being policies,

flexible scheduling, and the location of an employee’s“desk” without reduced pay, and an overall willingness
to examine the efficacy of historic processes –will not slide back down the hill to pre-pandemic
practices. But, the early warning signs of backsliding
are beginning to appear.

54

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

CASE STUDYCOVID-19 – Continued
The European Commission unsurprisingly highlighted
the importance of well-being and the fact that
COVID-19 also provoked growth in the wellness
industry - now worth $4.5 trillion globally. Fitness app
downloads increased by 50% in the first half of 2020
(World Economic Forum) and corporate wellness apps
are seeing widespread adoption. Many companies
within the Valuable 500 responded with swift andsupportive culture and business-line changes. We arehighlighting the activities of five of our companies andthe actions they took to respond to the health of theiremployees, their company, and their community.

NTT
Network technology company NTT
Communications Corp., at the height of COVID-19
had about 80 percent of its employees working
remotely and adopted specialised software
to arrange accessible online consultations
between the workers and their superiors with
opportunities to hear directly from and provide
feedback to leadership.

JUN SAWADACEONTT GROUPNTT Global Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/
member/ntt-group
NTT Global Website:
https://www.global.ntt/55

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

CASE STUDYCOVID-19 – Continued

To support their people through the
pandemic, EY enhanced an alreadycomprehensive suite of offerings
around emotional well-being.

CARMINE DI SIBIOCEOEY
EY Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/
member/ey
EY Global Website:
https://www.ey.com/en_uk

EY“To support their people through the pandemic,
EY enhanced an already comprehensive suiteof offerings around emotional well-being.
Employees can access free mobile apps forbuilding emotional resilience and improving sleep
habits. In addition to one-to-one counselling with
EY or external clinicians, the company added
daily group counselling sessions for parents,
adult caregivers, and people caring for family
members with disabilities. To supplement its free
twelve-week course on mindfulness and dailyscheduled practice sessions, EY began daily
drop-in sessions combining short mindfulness

exercises with practical tips for managing
anxiety, social isolation, or feeling overwhelmed.
Backup adult and childcare support was extended
and virtual yoga, workout classes and volunteer
opportunities were added. A few weeks into thecrisis, EY’s Global Chairman personally launcheda recognition programme highlighting EY people
doing exceptional things to support one another,
their communities, or their clients. On social
media, via video, in articles and on live webcasts,
top leaders share their stories and how each
“EY hero” is living our purpose of Building a
Better Working World.”

56

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

CASE STUDYCOVID-19 – Continued

THE FINANCIAL TIMES“Here at the Financial Times, we have reallyshifted the focus onto the mental well-beingof our employees and how we can best provide
support. We have mobilised our internal
network of mental health ambassadors toensure all employees know they have that
resource for support. We have also partnered
extensively with our Employee Assistance
Provider to not only provide their regular oneon-one counselling but also to provide bespoke
webinars for our employees on a variety of
topics. “We already provide meditation via
Headspace, but they have been a helpful partnerin providing free meditation sessions for our
non-members. In addition, one of our colleagues

leads a weekly, virtual, guided meditation
session for all to join. “We have also tried tounderstand the impact that a reduction in social
connections may have on employee’s mental
well-being, so we hold a fortnightly “keeping
connected” session during which we meet onvideo and share tips on topics like staying active
and great podcasts. Finally, the team planned
for their annual mental health awareness week
in the middle of May to continue virtually.
They held several workshops on topics likebetter sleep, in addition to some animal
therapy with a virtual tour of an animal
sanctuary which employees were invited
to attend with their families.”

We hold a fortnightly “keeping
connected” session during which
we meet on video and share tips
on topics like staying active andgreat podcasts.
JOHN RIDDINGCEOFINANCIAL TIMES
Financial Times
Commitment Statement:
https://www.
thevaluable500.com/
member/financial-times
Financial Times Website:
https://www.ft.com/

57

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

CASE STUDYCOVID-19 – Continued
Johnson & Johnson committed to remainon the front lines of this health crisis
during the COVID-19 pandemic and statedthat their response would be to focus onadapting the work environment.

JOAQUIN DUATOCEOJOHNSON & JOHNSON
Johnson & Johnson’s Valuable 500
Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/
member/johnson-johnson
Johnson & Johnson’s Website:
https://www.jnj.com/

JOHNSON & JOHNSON
For more than 50 years, Johnson & Johnson
has promoted a culture of health with accessto resources both for physical and mental
well-being and its importance to employee
satisfaction. They have embedded the practicein the built environment of the company,
in online services, and through employee
programmes. As a leader in global health,
Johnson & Johnson committed to remainon the front lines of this health crisis during
the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that their
response would be to focus on adapting thework environment, policies, and benefits to

support employees in balancing their personal
and professional responsibilities and prioritisingemotional, mental, and physical health andwell-being so they can be at their best. To
protect the health and safety of employees,
Johnson & Johnson provides state-of-theart, integrated health and well-being services
with an emphasis on prevention and education,
as well as immediate injury/illness care,occupational health, and personal healthcoaching. This includes 119 on-site healthcare
clinics in 35 countries across all sectors.
These services are offered free to all employees.

58

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
COVID-19 And
Well-Being

Conclusion

59

CASE STUDYCOVID-19 – Continued

VERIZON MEDIA(A DIVISION OF VERIZON)“At Verizon Media the focus was on breaking
down stigma and encouraging empathy for
employees’ mental health and emotional
wellness. In the wake of COVID-19, Verizon
Media expanded resources to support
employees’ mental health. They launched adaily newsletter providing resources to help
cope with isolation, anxiety, and stress, andcreated toolkits with tips for leaders to support
their teams. The Neurodiversity Employee
Resource Group led a conversation on mental
health and neurodivergence co-occurrence.
They expanded their mindfulness programme
to offer alternative resources that help
employees manage stress, improve sleep andcope with anxiety, and access to virtual crisis
counselling sessions. They featured stories from
employees in the hopes of sparking importantconversations to foster a supportive andinclusive workplace. And, finally, they donated$10 million in ad inventory to five non-profit
organisations raising awareness on mental
health, WHO (World Health Organisation) andthe CDC to provide a platform for their public
service advisories on COVID-19 and to ensurehigh-risk communities have access to thelatest science-based information. They also
partnered with the Ad Council to support their
PSA campaigns to raise awareness on social
distancing and mental health.”

Verizon Media launched a daily
newsletter providing resources tohelp cope with isolation, anxiety, andstress, and created toolkits with tips
for leaders to support their teams.

HANS VESTBERGCHAIRMAN & CEO
VERIZON
Verizon’s Valuable 500
Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/
member/verizon
Verizon’s Website:
https://www.verizon.com/

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design

ACCESSIBILITY
AND INCLUSIONBYTITLEDESIGN

While three-quarters of businesses feel they are
Uga. Et erferup taturib eatio. Il moluptatur alit occabor rumendi
better positioned
to provide digital accessibility,
accus sinveleni debit qui omnis nonsequi officium resequaest, ellor
the reality
is theysoluptia
are farfrommeeting
theirtargets.
molorpost,dem
fugit,
que nonem
et facepta
spererat fugitomni dipita dolor aperem nationsera nimporati offictas eicia volora
And to be fair,thetargets
keep moving astechnology,
ped
quia
consequidus
aut
ex ex cultural norms, andthe state of the pandemic shape-shift around the globe. First, that’s money
left on the table. Disability is not a minority issue. Businesses can’t afford
to ignore the value of those 1.3 billion people. This is $13 trillion a year indisposable income, according to estimates. This population is not only
underserved, but also an untapped source of talent.

60

Contents

What Are The Trends?
—
The year-on-year trendline isdisappointing: inclusive design
innovation has been placed on
the back burner as morecompanies are not currently
exploring inclusive design
innovation opportunities.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) has beenbrought to the forefront of customers’ perceptionsof businesses, affecting how customers interact
and make decisions about a brand. Businesses arepressured to be experts and advocates for digital

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Designaccessibility and accommodate a wide variety ofdisabilities at all levels of the business. The problem?
One-quarter of the Valuable 500 do not engage in
consumer stakeholder insights at all and less than athird of respondents do not target a disabled consumer.
There is a genuine misunderstanding of how digitalaccessibility impacts people with disabilities – or it
is approached piecemeal – without an over-arching
corporate understanding of its impact.
Collecting and promulgating this information feels as
though it is labour intensive and a place where talking
points won’t cut it. The feedback from customers canbe swift and brutal – or incredibly appreciative, butwhichever the case, it’s very real and a volatile area.

What helps?
Sharing the value of disability innumbers everyone can understand.

61

Contents

Introduction

How Are Our
Respondents Tracking?
—

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design

58% 15% 29% 32% 25%
of companies havestarted or invested
an adequate amountin exploring
inclusive design
innovation
opportunities;
33% have not started.

are not currently
exploring design
innovation
opportunities
vs. 24% in 2020.

of com panies have atargeted network of
disabled consumers
or stakeholders they tap
for product innovation/
research/solutions.

of companies use
customer insights, butthey are not targeted at
disabled customers.

do not engage in
consumer/stakeholder
insights at all.

62

Contents

What’s On Their Minds?
—

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design

VERBATIM

We’ve gathered some key insights from the voices of our survey
respondents to further illuminate the story the data is telling us:“In April 2021, an employee
accessibility website and dedicatedemail address was developed
and launched. The site promotes
disability inclusion and serves as acentral repository of accessibility
information, tools, and resources, aswell as a way for employees to reach
the Accessibility team directly.”“We continue to work on
our online booking tool
(it’s a global tool that weare trying to define for
our European locations)so that our disabledcustomers can have thesame booking experienceas other customers.”“ Since joining we have taken ourdisability employee network
global and appointed regional
leads, including in East Asia andIndia (previously our network wasvery UK centric). We have held anaccessibility awareness week andpromoted some of the tools wehave available internally.”“We conduct audits of ourbuildings to assess thelevel of accessibility and toprovide enhancements.”“We will continue to create homes
and communities that not only
provide safety and security but
also comfort through rich tactile
experiences and function, as well
as utilising our new Smart Universal
Design philosophy for designing
living environments that provide
vibrant experiences for all people.”“We are currently in theprocesses of arranging
delivery of accessibility
training to our Brand
and Communications
teams and exploring
ways to build thistraining into firm-wide
guidance.”“We have a customer-facing Disability
Support Team to answer and escalate
digital accessibility questions or issues.”“Increased
online (video)
training andenhanced
accessibility of
information,
includingsetting up
subtitles.”“We have increased awareness ofaccessible technology through firmwide communications and introduced
captioning as standard to our internal
meeting platforms and videos.”“We are creating audio
content for the visually
impaired.”“We are working
on creating auniversal design
website andbuilding digitally
accessible
products andservices ourclients request.”“Our company developed
corporate accessibility
design standards andworked with a disabilityled firm to conduct anaudit of our buildings.
These recommendations
are available to other
Valuable 500 businesses.”

63

Contents

How Can We Accelerate Change?
—
Use employee feedback
whether individually or from resource networks,
to understand inclusion and accessibility challenges
with internal and external digital systems.

Host internal hackathons
to solicit the feedback and ingenuity of employees topresent future-of-work solutions to current gaps
and issues areas as it relates to accessibility.

Make real investmentsin accessibility teams
charged with accelerating and innovating the rate ofinclusion innovation. The commitment can go further
if more companies create C-Suite leadership roles
specifically focused on accessibility.

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design64

Contents

CASE STUDY

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION BY DESIGNMPHASIS­—
Making significant strides in assistive technology is the
Indian-headquartered IT-leader, Mphasis. One of theirguiding principles is that “customer-centric enterprises
bridge the businesses and the human sides of the story.
Businesses listen, co-create, and innovate to stay
relevant in the ever-changing marketplace.”
NITIN RAKESHCEOMPHASIS
Mphasis Commitment Statement:
https://www.thevaluable500.com/member/mphasis
Mphasis Website:
https://www.mphasis.com/home.html

As an example of their human-centred approach,Mphasis chose two primary DEIA focus areas – genderand disability. They are now on the journey of shifting
culture, internal design thinking, and external social
impact funding to support those goals.

At the close of 2021 the company was honoured withnot one, but two Zero Project Awards for its work in
advancing inclusion. The Zero Project Awards area significant global programme finding and sharing
solutions that improve the daily lives and legal rightsof people with disabilities.

65

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings
Conclusion
Accessibility And
Inclusion By Design

CASE STUDY

Mphasis – Continued
The first project made possible through Mphasis’capital support was a collaboration with thetechnology company Uber, to launch uberASSIST and
uberACCESS. The programme increased accessible
vehicles in India for disabled passengers and training
for drivers.

Businesses listen,
co-create, andinnovate to stay
relevant in theever-changing
marketplace.

The second project directed financial and incubationgrowth support to tech innovation start-ups building
solutions for people with disabilities. ThroughSocial Alpha, an investment company, Mphasis
funded 14 assistive technology start-ups advancing
disability inclusion solutions; for example, an electric
wheelchair created for tough terrain, and a Braille lab.
The initiative utilised the power of Mphasis’ reach andcorporate focus to assist the start-ups with improved
manufacturing opportunities, broader distribution
channels and market entry support. Ten of the startups have moved their innovations to market since theprogramme’s inception.

We have
pioneered anumber of
initiatives witha sharp focus
on promoting
accessibility
for people withdisabilities.

66

Contents

Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

CONCLUSION

TITLE

When all of the information is compiled, and the2022 data is pulled into a unifying story – we are left
both hopefuland galvanised. We’re hopeful because
Uga. Et erferup taturib eatio. Il moluptatur alit occabor rumendi
the numbers
prove companies
arecommitted
accus sinveleni
debit qui omnis
nonsequiofficiumtoresequaest, ellor
molorpost,
soluptia
fugit,
que nonem
et facepta spererat fugit
disability
inclusionand demaren’tgoing
anywhere.
omni dipita dolor aperem nationsera nimporati offictas eicia volora
That truth
is morethan valuable,
ped quia
consequidus
aut ex ex it’s imperative.

67

Contents

Conclusion – Continued

How can we—

accelerate change?
We’re galvanised because theforce of global business is listening,
Breaking
downbarriers
investing,andattitudinalbeginningtoBiasand outdated
or incorrect perceptionsofimplement
strategies
with impact.

disabilities are huge barriers for organisations thatareto Valuable
shift the 500
dial andin disability
inclusivity
But trying
what thethis unprecedented
and accessibility. Additionally, standard internalCollective must do next is to dig in and truly invest incommunications can get buried amongst the noise
understanding the power and the profitability of living
and lose their impact. There is an opportunity towithin the disability community. Early research has
define with greater clarity what ‘disability inclusivity’shown the beginnings of that truth, but further studymeans, and why it’s important for innovation andanda holisticgrowth.
view thatexamines programmes
acrosssustainable
Enlightened
C-Suite leadersthebusiness
chain areofneeded– including
canentire
help embed
thevalueimportanceinclusive
designeverything
frominclusive
designat
inception,
thinking across all employees, regardless of ability.
to stronger culture programmes, and consumer
insights and brand experience. Business is listening
and committing, and whencommitments
ofthoserespondants
believethat thereproducts,
is a dearth
are followed by actions – cultures,
andof
disabled candidates.
programmes are improved.

47%

The Valuable 500’s primary funder, theNippon Foundation, in making their$5 million

Challenging misconceptions
around talent

The recruitment of candidates with disabilities
is crucial
fortheany
progressive
and ambitious
stake ingro
und commitment,
organisation.
Building
awareness
andchange
confidence
launched the
beginningof system
amongst recruiters and HR managers will enable
them to source candidates or adapt roles to ensure
inclusivity.
A crucial canpartonlyof thisbe enabling
This transformation
takewill
place
when
CHROs
to
assessthenumberofdisabled
access tolessons are learned across companies andpeople
within their existing workforce. In addition, anyinterfacing with the ecosystem is not only possible,
misconceptions relating to the number of potential
but also the most plausible way to be financiallycandidates must be addressed if the employment
competitive. This financial gain is not at odds with
gap is to be reduced. 47% of respondents believe
inclusion, it is an outcome of it.
that there is a dearth of disabled candidates.
This is at odds with research conducted by
And yet few people know the business case, but it
Virgin Media and Scope which shows that in
is atUK
thealone,centreof whywe saydisability
is toeveryone’sthe
1.2M
disabled
peoplewantbusiness,
andcurrently
for all to benefit,
must
become known.
work,
but aredenied ittheopportunity.

Introduction

Report Findings

Conclusion

1.2m

disabled people want towork, but are currently
denied the opportunity
The belief that when the global business community
embraces disability inclusion as a profit centre
companies become more competitive, and theOvercoming
functional
subsequent outcome
is that the daily lives of theordisabled
physicalbarriers
community
are improved – is the “future is
here”
imperative.
Theanydatamisconceptions
is showing it’s working,
It’s
time
to challenge
aroundaccess
which
may
cause
recruiters
todisregard
but we’re at the beginning of the Collective acting, adisabled
candidate’s
suitability.
Especiallythecollaborating,and learningfrom oneanother.given
Sleevesfact
pandemic
has made
the Ifworldof
are thatrolledthe
up 2020and people
are doing
the work.
you arework
even moreaccessible.
Facilities
teams
shoulda businessleader,this imperative
belongs
to you.
If youbeinvestinginresearchandaccessauditswithlocal
are a disabled entrepreneur or practitioner, this growth
specialists
working
to tounderstandand future andimpactbelongs
you. If youthe
are experiencea personof disabled employees. Through doing so, they willwith lived experience, this story belongs to you.
learn that it is possible to circumnavigate accesschallenges within the built environment - even in
historic or protected buildings.

Disability is ALLof our business.

68Visit the Valuable 500 website:
thevaluable500.com