Nissan is working to help ensure disability inclusion in everyday society by joining The Valuable 500 community.
The initiative was launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019 and seeks to put disability on the global business leadership agenda.
It’s calling for 500 of the most influential business leaders and their brands to ignite systemic change by unlocking the business, social and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world. This includes Nissan, which has joined the Valuable 500 community as part of its ongoing ambition to achieve zero emissions, zero fatalities and zero inequality in society.
Andrew Humberstone (pictured), managing director of Nissan Motor GB, said: “Many of us have never been previously exposed to disability, and those that have, often find a unique set of challenges to deal with. We anticipate all sorts of things we’ll have to deal with in life, but disability is not normally one of them, meaning we struggle to see life through the lens of those living with such disabilities.”
He added: “This is a key issue for us all, and not just in business but in wider society and we just never know when or how it will affect us: through a loved one, through an accident, through an illness, or naturally through old age. Nobody knows who is next. The sooner ableism is a thing of the past, the better, not only for the 20% of the population who are affected, but for all of us.”
Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, said disability inclusion was critical to achieving true equality in society.
She added: “We are delighted to have Nissan sign up as a member of The Valuable 500, committing to placing disability on their global board agenda. We look forward to working with them going forward and hope that many other companies will follow their lead and commit to creating an inclusive working environment where everyone, no matter their circumstances, can thrive.”
For more information on The Valuable 500, visit: www.thevaluable500.com
