As a lifelong advocate for economic opportunity and disability inclusion, I look forward to speaking at the RIAA Conference Australia 2025 to make the business case and explain the financial benefits of investing in companies with a dedicated effort to disability inclusive human capital management practices.
When companies proactively embrace people with disabilities as a source of talent, innovation, and productivity, they improve their bottom-line performance. Investors must consider these returns as part of any responsible investing strategy.
The business case
Research continues to demonstrate that disability inclusion presents companies with a strategic opportunity to increase their employee productivity and financial returns. Research from Accenture titled The Disability Inclusion Imperative (2023) draws on an independent corporate benchmark developed by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities to examine the relationship between inclusion and returns. The research found that companies excelling in disability inclusion consistently outperform their peers in revenue growth, profit margins, and shareholder returns. The report also found that global organizations that foster disability inclusion experience greater employee productivity and innovation that drives long-term value.
The investor case
In recent years, shareholder demand for company disability transparency has led to the inception of shareholder initiatives, such as Disability:IN’s Joint Investor Statement. The statement, signed by 32 of the world’s largest institutional investors, calls on portfolio companies to begin measuring their disability inclusive practice and policies. Right now, 65% of US and Global Fortune 500 companies report on disability inclusion in their annual sustainability reports. Many of them share workforce disability representation rates, revealing a global median of 2.58% overall workforce participation. This stands in drastic contrast to the 15% of the world’s population of people that have disabilities. Some sustainability frameworks are highlighting these employment gaps by incorporating metrics for disability in their annual disclosures.
The regulatory case
With a robust business case and increasing shareholder engagement on disability, companies have plenty of evidence to act on disability inclusion. But it’s important to recognize that over 100 jurisdictions around the world have employment quotas for hiring people with disabilities. The European Union is also enacting regional accessibility requirements. New EU directives, such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) have broadened the definition of “accessibly” to also encompass the design qualities of a product or space, requiring both products and spaces to be designed to maximize their use by people with disabilities to allow for equal participation. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which goes into effect for large listed companies in 2025 and foreign non-listed entities in 2028, will also require companies to report on disability in their workforce, value chain, and end-users. These new regulatory developments add additional impetus for global investors to ensure that their companies are thinking proactively about the disability market.
Implementation strategies
On 29 May 2025, I will be joining RIAA at its annual conference to address Australian asset managers and investors on how a disability inclusive investment strategy can drive returns. Even as global investors face market uncertainty and unstable policy contexts, disability employment provides a competitive advantage. I look forward to joining attendees in identifying the practical steps that investors and asset managers can employ to create opportunities for inclusive employment around the world and drive superior returns.
<small> Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view or position of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). This article is intended as general information and should not be considered investment advice. It is recommended to seek appropriate professional advice before making any investment decisions.
About the contributors
About the speakers
Ted Kennedy Jr.
Co-Chair
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Disability Index
Ted Kennedy, Jr. is the Co-Chair of the Disability Index, the leading corporate social responsibility, accountability, and benchmarking tool that scores global businesses on their disability inclusion policies and practices. He is also a partner in the law firm Epstein Becker Green and a former Connecticut State Senator. As an amputee and childhood bone cancer survivor, Ted has been an active leader in the disability rights movement nearly his entire life. He is the immediate past Chair and current Member of the Board of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
As a lifelong advocate for economic opportunity and disability inclusion, I look forward to speaking at the RIAA Conference Australia 2025 to make the business case and explain the financial benefits of investing in companies with a dedicated effort to disability inclusive human capital management practices.
When companies proactively embrace people with disabilities as a source of talent, innovation, and productivity, they improve their bottom-line performance. Investors must consider these returns as part of any responsible investing strategy.
The business case
Research continues to demonstrate that disability inclusion presents companies with a strategic opportunity to increase their employee productivity and financial returns. Research from Accenture titled The Disability Inclusion Imperative (2023) draws on an independent corporate benchmark developed by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities to examine the relationship between inclusion and returns. The research found that companies excelling in disability inclusion consistently outperform their peers in revenue growth, profit margins, and shareholder returns. The report also found that global organizations that foster disability inclusion experience greater employee productivity and innovation that drives long-term value.
The investor case
In recent years, shareholder demand for company disability transparency has led to the inception of shareholder initiatives, such as Disability:IN’s Joint Investor Statement. The statement, signed by 32 of the world’s largest institutional investors, calls on portfolio companies to begin measuring their disability inclusive practice and policies. Right now, 65% of US and Global Fortune 500 companies report on disability inclusion in their annual sustainability reports. Many of them share workforce disability representation rates, revealing a global median of 2.58% overall workforce participation. This stands in drastic contrast to the 15% of the world’s population of people that have disabilities. Some sustainability frameworks are highlighting these employment gaps by incorporating metrics for disability in their annual disclosures.
The regulatory case
With a robust business case and increasing shareholder engagement on disability, companies have plenty of evidence to act on disability inclusion. But it’s important to recognize that over 100 jurisdictions around the world have employment quotas for hiring people with disabilities. The European Union is also enacting regional accessibility requirements. New EU directives, such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) have broadened the definition of “accessibly” to also encompass the design qualities of a product or space, requiring both products and spaces to be designed to maximize their use by people with disabilities to allow for equal participation. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which goes into effect for large listed companies in 2025 and foreign non-listed entities in 2028, will also require companies to report on disability in their workforce, value chain, and end-users. These new regulatory developments add additional impetus for global investors to ensure that their companies are thinking proactively about the disability market.
Implementation strategies
On 29 May 2025, I will be joining RIAA at its annual conference to address Australian asset managers and investors on how a disability inclusive investment strategy can drive returns. Even as global investors face market uncertainty and unstable policy contexts, disability employment provides a competitive advantage. I look forward to joining attendees in identifying the practical steps that investors and asset managers can employ to create opportunities for inclusive employment around the world and drive superior returns.
<small> Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view or position of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). This article is intended as general information and should not be considered investment advice. It is recommended to seek appropriate professional advice before making any investment decisions.
