In this exclusive interview with Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, we explore her journey to champion disability inclusion within global businesses. From overcoming the initial barriers of senior leadership to the transformative power of reverse mentoring, Casey shares insights on driving meaningful change and creating a truly inclusive workforce.
As the businesswoman and activist behind The Valuable 500, what have been some of the most significant challenges you’ve encountered in advocating for disability inclusion? How have you effectively addressed these challenges?
One of the biggest challenges was gaining access to senior leadership. Early on with Valuable 500, many businesses did not see disability as a priority, often focusing on other areas of diversity like gender and race. To overcome this, I emphasized the business case—disability inclusion drives innovation, enhances customer relations, and leads to better performance.
Crucially, we’ve found that the most effective approach combines the business rationale with the humanity of leaders. By framing disability inclusion as a fundamental part of the human experience that affects everyone, we’ve been able to connect with leaders on a personal level. This human-centric approach has been key in driving meaningful change and fostering genuine commitment to inclusion beyond mere representation. Once we reached CEOs, many were receptive, but getting there was difficult.
By framing disability inclusion as a fundamental part of the human experience that affects everyone, we’ve been able to connect with leaders on a personal level.
Another challenge is the fear of making mistakes, which often leads to inaction. I’ve worked to shift this mindset by encouraging companies to see disability inclusion as a continuous journey. We advise businesses to start small, be transparent, and grow their efforts over time.
Additionally, the invisibility of disability, especially non-visible conditions, has been a major hurdle. Many companies are unaware of how many employees with disabilities they have. We’ve addressed this by promoting Self-ID programs, helping companies gather data and create a culture where employees feel safe to disclose their disabilities.
We managed to address it quite simply by getting safety in numbers, not only in one company but in many companies. This is why SYNC25, our first accountability summit in Tokyo, represents a pivotal moment in our mission to end disability exclusion and marks the start of a decade of accountability for our partners and companies. It will bring together Valuable 500 CEOs, C-suite leaders, next-generation leaders, and representatives from the global disability community to review progress, set agendas, and accelerate inclusion for the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities worldwide.
In what ways has your personal experience with disability influenced your approach to leadership and activism? How has it empowered you to drive meaningful change within organizations?
My personal experience with disability has profoundly shaped my leadership and activism. I didn’t discover I was legally blind until I was 17, and for many years, I concealed my condition while working in the corporate world, driven by the fear of being perceived as incapable. It wasn’t until I came to terms with my blindness at 28, while working as a global consultant at Accenture, that I began to embrace my identity fully. This moment of “coming out” became a turning point in my life and my career.
A defining moment for me was when I left my job and embarked on a solo trek across India on an elephant, a journey that was both physical and deeply personal. This experience was my first step toward embracing my authentic self, realizing that to drive real change, I needed to be true to who I was. That journey shaped my belief that real impact starts with vulnerability and authenticity. It was in embracing my disability that I found the strength to advocate not only for myself but for millions of others with disabilities.
Since then, my approach to leadership has been centered around empathy and connection. I’ve used my own story to bridge the gap between business leaders and the often invisible challenges faced by people with disabilities. It’s through sharing my personal experiences that seems to have given other leaders to do the same and to rethink disability inclusion and take meaningful action within their organizations. This is why initiatives like Valuable 500 are so critical—they bring disability into the heart of business, not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of leadership and strategy.
Given the rise in disability discrimination claims and heightened awareness of neurodivergent diagnoses, menopause, and mental health issues, what urgent actions should CEOs and HR leaders prioritize to address these challenges effectively?
First, creating an environment where employees can discuss these issues and their lived experience without stigma is essential. This involves training, especially for middle management, on these topics – middle managers are often the individuals who have to manage adjustments or leave etc for individuals so it’s vital they are aware of how flexible they can be as well as and policies the company has in place to support individuals. HR policies must be reviewed to ensure they’re inclusive, and clear pathways should be in place for employees to request accommodations without fear of discrimination.
A major hurdle is the invisibility of many disabilities, especially non-visible conditions. Many companies are unaware of how many employees with disabilities they have. To address this, CEOs and HR leaders should prioritize implementing Self-ID programs. These programs help companies gather crucial data and, more importantly, create a culture where employees feel safe to disclose their disabilities. This approach not only provides valuable insights but also fosters a more inclusive and supportive work environment.
Leaders should also prioritize mental health and neurodivergence by offering flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid or remote work, and ensuring the workplace is accessible. Finally, CEOs and HR leaders must take ownership by embedding measurable inclusion goals into their strategy. This proactive approach not only enhances employee well-being but also drives a more innovative and inclusive company culture.
Building an inclusive workplace culture often begins with senior leadership. Could you provide examples of how leaders can set a positive example for disability inclusion and why their role is pivotal?
I often say that leadership sets the tone for the organization – in the shadow and the light of the leader. Leaders must visibly champion inclusion by embedding it into the core of their business strategy and backing it with substantial resources. When leaders share their own experiences or openly support employees with disabilities, they create a culture of trust and openness. This creates a ripple effect throughout the company, signaling to consumers and employees at all levels that disability is a business priority.
Signing up to initiatives like Valuable 500 is an important first step, but it’s not enough on its own – action must follow. From inclusive hiring practices to accessible workplace design, and from comprehensive disability awareness training to equitable promotion pathways for disabled employees, leaders must be the ones to continuously push beyond pledges and promises, driving real, measurable change throughout their organisations. This can all be supported through robust reporting on performance and having an executive sponsorship of ERG groups.
Most importantly, leaders must remember that the journey towards genuine inclusion is ongoing and requires unwavering commitment from the top – anything less risks perpetuating the very barriers we seek to dismantle.
Effective disability reporting is critical for fostering a supportive work environment. What strategies have you found most successful in encouraging employees to self-disclose and in creating a culture of support?
We encourage all companies to report comprehensively on disability inclusion, covering areas such as workforce representation, leadership commitment, accessibility initiatives, and employee resource group activities. What’s measured is managed, and transparent reporting on these key metrics is crucial for driving accountability and real change.
Effective disability reporting goes beyond mere numbers. It’s about creating a culture of continuous improvement and inclusion. This starts with setting clear, public targets and regularly disclosing progress, but extends to fostering psychological safety where employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. Well-designed Self-ID programs, backed by visible leadership support, play a role, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle.
This starts with setting clear, public targets and regularly disclosing progress, but extends to fostering psychological safety where employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.
Successful strategies involve engaging Employee Resource Groups for insights, translating reporting data into concrete actions, and communicating openly about both challenges and successes. It’s crucial that employees see how their disclosed information leads to tangible improvements in workplace accessibility and support.
Ultimately, comprehensive reporting isn’t just about compliance—it’s a powerful tool for innovation and better business outcomes. When done right, it creates a virtuous cycle of disclosure, understanding, action, and improvement that benefits all employees and the organization as a whole.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) dedicated to disability are essential for inclusivity. How can organizations utilize these groups to strengthen their disability inclusion efforts and better support their employees?
The principle of “Nothing Without Us” should be at the heart of every organization’s disability inclusion efforts, and ERGs are key to making this a reality. These groups aren’t just support networks; they’re strategic partners in driving organizational transformation.
To truly leverage ERGs, companies must give them a seat at the decision-making table. Their insights should inform policy changes, accessibility improvements, and inclusive practices. ERGs can lead education efforts, dismantling misconceptions and promoting empathy across the organization.
When empowered, ERGs can contribute to product development, customer experience, and talent acquisition strategies, identifying barriers to inclusion that might otherwise go unnoticed.
To maximize their impact, companies must provide ERGs with resources, executive sponsorship, and visible leadership support. It’s about integrating these groups into the core of the company’s inclusion strategy, not just having them as a checkbox exercise.
Companies must remember that effective disability inclusion isn’t about doing things for disabled employees, but with them. ERGs are the embodiment of this principle and essential to creating workplaces where all employees can truly thrive.
Reverse mentoring, where C-suite leaders are paired with disabled talent, is a significant strategy for improving disability representation. Could you discuss its impact and how it contributes to a deeper understanding and meaningful change at the executive level?
Valuable 500’s Generation Valuable, our groundbreaking 6-month programme, exemplifies the power of reverse mentoring in driving disability inclusion. This initiative pairs experienced executives with emerging disabled leaders, creating dynamic partnerships that foster personal growth and transformative organizational change.
The impact of this approach is multifaceted. For mentees, it provides leadership skills to accelerate their careers, positioning them as trailblazers for inclusive leadership. As they rise through the ranks, they become living proof of the value diverse perspectives bring to the executive level.
For C-suite mentors, the programme offers transformative insights into inclusivity, elevating their leadership skills and positioning them as powerful agents of change. This expanded perspective drives strategic decision-making and fosters more inclusive policies and practices throughout their organizations.
Crucially, this isn’t just about individual growth. By engaging directly with disabled talent, executives gain insights that shape more effective inclusion strategies, making disability a core business value. The programme nurtures future leaders while simultaneously educating current ones, creating a powerful cycle of change.
Through structured, developmental mentoring on an unprecedented scale, Generation Valuable is reshaping the leadership landscape. It’s not just opening doors for individuals—it’s unlocking potential that drives innovation, enhances decision-making, and creates more resilient and adaptable businesses worldwide. Generation Valuable was designed to tackle one of the most significant system barriers: the lack of disabled talent in the C-Suite.
Executive Profile
