Thoughtworks a global software consultancy, is proud to report their membership to The Valuable 500, the global movement putting disability on the business leadership agenda.
Today’s announcement coincides with International Day of People with Disabilities, during a time when one billion people - almost one in five (15%) of the world’s population - are living with a disability. By joining other forward-thinking organizations in this initiative, Thoughtworks will be driving a positive agenda forward, aimed at inclusivity for employees, clients and users of our technology living with disabilities. This announcement furthers Thoughtworks’ longstanding commitment to inclusion in the workplace.
Since its founding, Thoughtworks has rejected discrimination and inequality and has advocated for persity and inclusion in the global technology space. Thoughtworks aims to include all of society in its community through its technology, and recognizes that further efforts are necessary to specifically include people living with disabilities. This commitment marks an advancement of that journey.
Xiao Guo, president and chief executive officer of Thoughtworks, commented; “Being a part of The Valuable 500 is a natural choice for Thoughtworks; it is an important step in our journey of inclusion as we strive to be a positive force for change. We aspire to be a home for all technologists, and we will continue to take action to make that a reality. We are excited to learn and grow in this space and encourage others to think about how they can commit to disability inclusion.”
“Our commitment to the Valuable 500 is true to Thoughtworks’ culture. We are a people business, a community of passionate inpiduals that are committed to building a better, more inclusive society and – through our work – to become advocates for sustainable, positive social change”.
Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, has commented; “As we near the end of 2020 and reflect on what has been the most disruptive year to date, we have seen in so many cases the world come together in solidarity. We now need to see this approach being applied to the inclusion revolution, and in particular the fight for disability inclusion. We are delighted to welcome Thoughtworks as a member of The Valuable 500. We are building a powerful business community who are coming together to fight for disability inclusion globally.”
About The Valuable 500
Launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019, The Valuable 500 aims to put disability on the global business leadership agenda.
The Valuable 500 was created by Binc, the organisation founded by Caroline Casey in 2015, with a mission to ignite a historic global movement for a new age of business inclusion - capitalising on Caroline Casey’s 18-year track record of success engaging over 450 organisations. The campaign has won three awards: a Cannes Lion, D&AD, and a BIMA.
Our goal is to persuade 500 multinational companies that have at least 1,000 employees to make a public commitment to advance disability inclusion in their organisation. By engaging the most influential business leaders and brands, we want to create a tipping point within business that unlocks the business, social and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world, and the millions of us who will become disabled over time
We believe that if business takes a lead, society and government will follow, truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.