The Valuable 500 has announced that 60 more global companies including Sony, Citi, GSK, Orange, Sodexo, Coca-Cola European Partners and Santander, have committed to putting inclusion of people with disabilities on their boardroom agendas.
The campaign, launched at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last year, calls on 500 global businesses to make a firm commitment to eradicating the exclusion of disabled people in business. Over 200 companies have already pledged to take a definitive stand on disability in the workplace by signing up to The Valuable 500 (as reported).
“I am proud to stand alongside other business leaders in The Valuable 500 and say that we must offer inclusion to all, and must do more to support equality for disabled people within our business,” commented Coca-Cola European Partners CEO Damian Gammell. “This will build a greater diversity of ideas, thinking and experience.”
INCLUSION FOR ALL
Commenting on signing up to The Valuable 500, Denis Machuel, Chief Executive Officer of Sodexo, stated: “We are convinced that by mobilising our employees towards a more inclusive growth, we can eliminate misconceptions and biases that hold people with mental or physical disabilities back to make sure everyone can reach their full potential. We hope many other companies will join The Valuable 500 initiative to make our collective efforts part of the usual way of doing business going forward.”
Citi CEO Mike Corbat added: “All of our colleagues at Citi, without fail, should feel welcome and empowered to succeed in the workplace and their communities. Our commitment to disability inclusion is central to this aim and why we see The Valuable 500’s mission as vital to strengthening corporate inclusivity across the world.”
BACK TO DAVOS
One year since its launch at WEF’s Annual Meeting last year, The Valuable 500’s Founder Caroline Casey will return to Davos next week to announce the results of the campaign and progress achieved to date on disability inclusion in business. She will be speaking alongside business leaders, such as Chairman of The Valuable 500 Paul Polman, and Bloomberg Chairman Peter Grauer. The Valuable 500 panel, ‘Closing the disability inclusion gap’, is scheduled to take place on 23rd January 2020.
“It is extremely promising to see global companies from all four corners of the globe and across a vast array of sectors, continuing to pledge to join our disability inclusion movement nearly twelve months on from its launch,” stated Casey. “As The Valuable 500’s historic return to Davos fast approaches, it throws into sharp relief our progress in tackling ‘diversish’ attitudes in the workplace over the past year. We gladly welcome these new members – I am certain they will be instrumental in ensuring disability inclusion becomes the norm in working life globally.”
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