Executives need to look beyond narrow accessibility issues, and realise diversity is good for society and business
Inclusion is something that is talked about widely and is slowly becoming a priority in the business world, but disability is seldom included in the conversation.
While there have been important accomplishments in relation to disability awareness, accessibility and inclusion, the issue is still seen by much of the business community as a niche or the domain of charity or welfare programmes, meaning many businesses fail to include disabled people at the most basic level.
Disability is a wide-ranging topic, but when business leaders hear about 'disability performance', they often think narrowly: about providing accessible toilets or hiring people with disabilities to fill targeted vacancies.
Social enterprises and charities like Pluss, Clarity and UnLtd are doing a great job of bringing those with disabilities into the workforce and businesses are increasingly designing for disabled people.
With ageing populations in many major economies, businesses cannot achieve sustainable growth without making disability inclusion a priority.
