We believe disability inclusion means taking action to make change happen. Small acts done multiples of times by hundreds of companies can and will change the way we do business.
That’s why we’ve been working with our Valuable 500 members to create more inclusive working cultures.
In May, we published the findings of our annual member survey, the Valuable Truth 2022. This research found that when it came to building truly inclusive environments, our members had made progress overall but there was still a lot of work to do in specific areas.
We found that 70% of companies reported having a resource network and/ or support group in place, but only 54% reported having an active disability inclusion accessibility policy. We also found that 85% of members reported ongoing work to remove the top barriers to recruitment for people with disabilities, but companies cited that the most significant barriers to this work were lack of staff awareness (49%) and lack of candidates (49%).
This year, we have worked with members to address some of these challenges and made recommendations on how to accelerate change.
Read on to find out how Valuable 500 companies have taken action to build more inclusive cultures in 2022.
Empowering disabled leaders.
75 of our members signed up to Generation Valuable, our future leaders programme to address the lack of disabled leaders in executive positions, and empower the voices of people with disabilities in business.
Starting in January 2023, this programme is designed to accelerate leadership opportunities for people with disabilities. One rising leader from each company will receive training from an internal executive mentor, as well as some of the world’s leading disability inclusion and leadership experts.
Over a 12-month exploratory programme, each Generation Valuable mentee will lead conversations across their own C-Suite, take part in a master-class curriculum, and collaborate with a global network of their peers.
Find out more about Generation Valuable.
Improving accessibility.
Valuable 500 companies have improved the accessibility of their workplaces and digital tools, to enable disabled people to thrive at work.
HSBC worked with Zoom to develop more accessible features. HSBC took the initiative to work with Zoom, following the experience of an employee who had an Epileptic fit when being exposed to flashing images on a work call. Zoom has since launched a ‘Dim screen-share video’ feature that users can select to automatically dim their screen when triggering content like flashing images is detected.
ISS A/S redesigned its Warsaw head office according to the highest accessibility and usability standards with wide passageways and doors providing wheelchair access, simple signage for easy orientation, spacious lifts, lowered reception desks, visual impairment-friendly colour schemes, ramps and specially designed furniture handles. ISS A/S is now adopting the same approach for its customers’ buildings, which will include providing an in-depth assessment and accessibility analysis.
Our key focus is to create inclusive workplaces, where everybody can be their authentic self and feel like they belong. Diversity and Inclusion must never just be words in company policies. An inclusive mindset and culture should be reflected and reinforced by the way we talk, look and act, as well as through the physical surroundings of the workplace.
Training and awareness.
Several of our members have implemented training and awareness programmes to promote more inclusive and accessible working practices for people with disabilities.
Zain Group has developed disability training programmes for employees such as ‘Grow’, a training programme for recent graduates with disabilities to prepare them for entering the workforce, as well as training more than 300 Zain employees in different sign languages.
Grant Thornton partnered with Microsoft to offer accessibility training and awareness to employees. The training focused on sharing information about the accessibility features that exist within the Microsoft 365 suite of products, including Microsoft Teams and Sharepoint. The initiative has helped employees use these features, benefiting everyone and making collaboration more accessible and inclusive.
Find out more about Grant Thornton.
Addressing recruitment barriers.
Our members have been working to address some of the most significant barriers to recruitment for people with disabilities, through a variety of initiatives.
Deloitte launched a number of coaching and education programmes to allow professionals with disabilities to reach their full career potential. This includes accessibility initiatives such as the Deloitte US human-centred design (HCD) initiative. Human-centred design (HCD) is an approach that puts the professional and their experiences at the centre of the problem-solving process, with the goal of elevating the human experience using principles of design.
Coles Group was ranked first for recruitment of Australians with disabilities by the Australian Network on Disability in their Disability Confidence Awards. Coles Group was recognised for continuing to develop momentum and implement new initiatives to improve access and inclusion for people with disabilities. This award comes following an increased focus from Coles around creating a more inclusive recruitment process. Recognising that hiring disabled people requires a different approach, the company embedded inclusion recruitment specialists into its Talent Acquisition Team. This inclusive approach helped Coles increase the number of people they employ with a disability by over 1,000 in the past year (2021-22).
Supporting disabled people at work.
Valuable 500 companies have taken action this year to ensure disabled people have the support and resources to succeed at work.
Channel 4, BBC, and ITV joined forces to create access and inclusion passports that will remove barriers and support better inclusion of disabled people at work. The passports will support conversations with line managers to ensure disabled colleagues get the support they need to work – an important part of breaking down barriers to disability employment.
EY has provided an extended supportive environment for neuro-divergent employees through its Neuro-Diverse Centers of Excellence. There are now 6 centers in the US, and others in Canada, Costa Rica, India, Poland, Spain and the UK. More than 300 EY people working in these centers of excellence have helped develop innovative creative solutions for EY, saving millions of service delivery hours and enabling an even more efficient client service.
We know that advancing disability inclusion creates value for EY people and clients. We are proud of our efforts to create more opportunity for everyone, including people with disabilities. The future needs all of us, and the world works better, when it works for everyone.
Launching disability networks.
Many of our members have launched disability resource groups this year, to provide disabled employees with a vital support network.
Zappos launched an Employee Resource Group (ERG) called Disability Awareness & Inclusion. Starting in January 2023 it will support employees and their families through education, employment and resources. The goal is to create a safe and empathetic space for employees who share a common interest or affinity to support one another and help raise awareness.
Compass Group launched Ability, a network that aims to raise awareness and better understand the challenges faced by employees and customers who identify as having a disability, either visible or invisible.
Merlin launched ‘Internal Intel Group’ to tap into the wealth of knowledge and lived experience within its global team – as parents, carers, or for those that have accessibility needs themselves. The group aims to share these lived experiences, and gather insight on how they can further change and develop accessibility at Merlin attractions.
Find out more about about the importance of ERGs in the video from Merlin below.
