4 ways businesses can support the rights and wellbeing of employees with disabilities
Not written or owned by Lisa Cox.
Written by Fernando Alonso Perez-Chao for World Economic Forum. Read full article here.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.3 billion people – about 15% to 20% of the global population – currently experience disability. Together with friends and family, this group has a spending power of $13 trillion.
According to the Return on Disability Report, only 4% of businesses are focused on making offerings inclusive of disabled people. The International Labour Organisation estimates that the cost of disability exclusion can be up to 7% of OECD countries’ gross domestic product (GDP).
People with disabilities are diverse and heterogeneous. Disabilities can be visible or invisible; temporary or permanent. The number of persons who live with a disability is increasing due to demographic trends and increases in chronic health conditions, among other causes. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, fundamental rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities.
To protect and support people with disabilities, businesses have introduced several accessibility measures and inclusion strategies.
Making the workplace more inclusive for people with disabilities
We have asked business leaders to provide an outlook on the latest activities at the disability inclusion frontier. Here’s what they said.
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1. Develop disabled talent beyond hiring
While hiring disabled talent is increasingly becoming a common practice, the disabled community remains underrepresented in leadership positions, both in the private and public sector.
Following a call to action in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos 2022, the Valuable 500 – the largest network of global CEOs committed to disability inclusion – has launched Generation Valuable, a leadership development programme to accelerate opportunities and elevate the voices of tomorrow’s C-Suite talent.
The first-of-its-kind programme will be a springboard for the disability leaders and champions of today so that they may drive disability inclusion and accessibility efforts in their companies, influence cultural and system change, and sit in the boardrooms of tomorrow.
The initial cohort of 75 Generation Valuable participants will lead conversations within their own C-Suite and take part in a series of modules including creative leadership, leadership identity, strategic thinking, business for good/environment, social and governance (ESG), and disability advocacy – driving change within their own organizations, as well as connecting with a global peer network.
2. Close the disabilities data gap and foment more inclusive reporting
Disability inclusion is strikingly absent from standardized key performance indicators, metrics or targets through which organizations measure their impact, performance, and the value they bring to society.
Inclusive disclosure on disability inclusion by companies will enable investors and other stakeholders to make more informed investment and engagement decisions with respect to that organization....