The role of disability in the ranks of business leadership is a fairly new concept, but an important ... [+]
This week marks the upcoming celebration of the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This is a day that highlights not only the value of inclusion but the need for innovation to fuel an equitable and accessible world that is central to society's long-term growth. Yet, for this change to truly take shape, it is critical to once again reframe the narrative and rethink the role of persons with disabilities in the modern business culture.
To see the disability community as a beacon of innovation and an economic driver in the capital markets of tomorrow it will take bold leadership to gather momentum and gain a foothold in propagating this new type of thinking in order to create a real systemic change within the fabric of business life. Across the business ecosystem, we are seeing an adjustment happening where a convergence between leadership principles and the role of the disability narrative is beginning to emerge. Through this transformation, there is a great sense of optimism about what the future holds, but as we honor the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we must plant the seeds of change in order to cultivate a garden of leaders for the journey ahead.
As business continues to iterate, there are various examples of systemic change happening. Some come directly from the disability community, while others come from academic institutions that are embracing social movements impacting business life. The Valuable 500 is certainly one of those organizations. Known as a global business collective made up of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies along with their CEOs from Apple to UBS and more. Their focus is emphasizing the underlying need to illustrate the value of innovating together to create a corporate culture that sees disability inclusion as essential to the business ethos. One of their newest initiatives is called Generation Valuable, a program that focuses on addressing the gap in disability talent at all levels. A key element of the initiative is to focus on the C-Suite and help cultivate disabled talent at the executive ranks to break down systemic barriers and redefine the role of leadership for a modern company that recognizes the element of inclusion as central to their business needs.
Another disability organization at the vanguard of leadership change is Diversability. Founded by their current CEO Tiffany Yu, the organization's focus is to be a destination where persons with disabilities and allies can connect and engage in ways to redefine community, heighten visibility, and help shape an equitable society for all. Recently, the organization has embarked on a new program called the Diversability Leadership Collective. The focus is to build a mechanism for leadership development emphasizing meaningful connections, as well as various resources and development that accelerate the evolution of rising leaders across the disability community.
Programs like those of the Valuable 500 and Diversability are not only changing the tone of disability culture but are setting a new bar of what is possible. While this forward momentum within the disability community is critical, it is the connection to the larger social bonds that will have an even more significant impact in redefining the future of what leadership looks like for persons with disabilities. In recent years we are beginning to recognize a real sea change happening that will have a systemic impact on how organizations respond to the role of disability in totality. Academic institutions, particularly business schools are reorganizing their curriculum and rethinking social obligations as a key aspect of modern business practice.
Top-tier business schools are stepping further into the arena of social responsibility recognizing that this is a critical aspect of doing business in the digital economy of the 21st Century. With schools like Harvard launching the Institute for The Study of Business in Global Society or Wharton’s new major in diversity, equity, and inclusion to having nearly half of the core curriculum of the Yale School of Management focused on ESG investing we are seeing that this revolution of ideas is real and will have a significant impact on the future leadership of global business. It is this type of systemic change that opens the doors to making the Disability Economy a cornerstone of standard business thinking and allowing persons with disabilities to be seen as more valued in this economic reality.
Business leadership and persons with disabilities need one another. It is a mutually beneficial relationship whose story is yet to be told. Now is the moment to focus on the very mechanisms to find the best pathways for growth. We have reached a tipping point where we are mindful of the change happening, yet we must continue to charge forward!
