Today, Valuable 500 marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) with the release of its latest whitepaper “Unlocking Disability-Inclusive Leadership”. The research examines how successful disability-inclusive leaders drive organisational transformation and business value, aligning with this year’s IDPD theme: “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future”.
Key findings include:
- Only 25% of companies had disability inclusion as a board-level priority before joining Valuable 500.
- 78% of interviewed leaders have personal connections to disability through family members.
- Fear of stigma and discrimination remains the biggest barrier to disability inclusion, cited by 61% of leaders.
The research, based on in-depth interviews with 33 global C-suite executives across 8 countries and 15 industries, identifies three core pillars of disability-inclusive leadership:
- Purpose and Strategy
- Psychological Safety and Trust
- Storytelling and Accountability
At a time of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty, the insights of these disability-confident leaders powerfully demonstrate that disability inclusive business is good business. Now more than ever, leaders must double down on their efforts if we are to put an end to disability exclusion in business. I encourage all leaders to heed the call to action within these pages and join the movement towards a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future.
The whitepaper provides clear recommendations for businesses to advance disability-inclusive leadership and serves as a practical roadmap for organizational transformation. It comes at a critical time as companies prepare for SYNC25, the world’s first accountability summit on disability inclusion.
