New York, NY, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) proudly unveils the Disability Inclusion Blueprint, a powerful tool that empowers organizations to gain deep insights and implement effective strategies for enhancing disability inclusion across the entire employee lifecycle, from recruitment to retention.
Formerly known as the Employment Tracker™ survey, the Disability Inclusion Blueprint is an innovative redesign of NOD’s groundbreaking corporate inclusion assessment. The revamped Blueprint features a streamlined survey and a user-friendly interface, enabling organizations to build inclusive workplaces that actively promote equity and belonging for all employees.
Organizations that complete the Blueprint receive a comprehensive scorecard benchmarking their performance against all other companies, revealing a blueprint to enhance their disability inclusion strategy in the workplace.
Strategic Partnership with Valuable 500
In conjunction with the launch, NOD is proud to announce a formal research and development partnership with Valuable 500 – a global organization working with businesses to put disability inclusion on the corporate leadership agenda.
Combining NOD’s research expertise with Valuable 500’s global reach, this partnership will yield innovative insights and promote the adoption of effective disability inclusion strategies worldwide. Together, Valuable 500 and NOD aim to empower businesses to create workplaces that welcome and leverage the talents and strengths of the estimated 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide.
“Our partnership with Valuable 500 underscores our shared commitment to creating meaningful change for all people with physical, mental health, and cognitive disabilities. We know inclusive organizations are better positioned to attract and retain top talent, expand market reach, and improve employee satisfaction,” said Beth Sirull, President & CEO of NOD. “By investing in inclusion and ensuring people with disabilities have equal opportunities to contribute, grow, and thrive, companies build a stronger, more engaged workforce that ultimately enhances their bottom line,” she continued.
“We envision a world where every person with a disability has access to inclusive and engaging workplaces that develop and utilize their talents. The Disability Inclusion Blueprint is an essential tool for companies looking to recognize, measure, and enhance their commitment to creating an inclusive workplace. We are proud to partner with NOD and encourage our Valuable 500 partners and companies to utilize the Blueprint to further their disability inclusion efforts,” said Katy Talikowska, CEO of Valuable 500. She continued, “We look forward to showcasing the results of this research December 2025 in Tokyo at SYNC 25: Valuable 500's Accountability Summit.”
The Disability Inclusion Blueprint is free, and companies can sign up online now. The survey will be available on Wednesday, January 15. To be considered for Fair360’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity and to be eligible for awards of recognition by NOD, completion is required by Monday, March 31 at 11:59 PM EST. For more information about the Disability Inclusion Blueprint and how to participate, visit www.nod.org/blueprint.
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About the National Organization on Disability (NOD)
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a nonprofit organization that seeks to increase employment opportunities for the 26% of Americans with disabilities. NOD offers a suite of employment solutions, tailored to anticipate, and meet companies’ workforce needs. NOD has helped the world’s most recognized brands be more competitive in today’s global economy by building or enriching their disability inclusion programs. For more information about NOD and its portfolio of workforce solutions, including the Leadership Council, Disability Inclusion Blueprint, and Employee Engagement Survey, visit www.nod.org.
About Valuable 500
Valuable 500 is the global organisation of over 500 partners and companies working together to end disability exclusion. Unified in our purpose to accelerate inclusion for the one in five people living with a disability, we transform business systems to transform society.
By engaging with the world’s most influential business leaders and brands, the Valuable 500 now has a market cap of over $23 trillion, combined revenues of over $8 trillion and employs a staggering 22 million people worldwide.
We drive change through Synchronised Collective Action. Channelling the power of over 500 partners and companies working in harmony – moving in the same direction, at the same time, against the same system barrier.
We hold our partners and companies to account in taking action in three key areas:
• Leadership, putting disability inclusion on the leadership agenda
• Reporting, tackling the disability data gap to create business accountability
• Representation, ensuring that people with disability are represented authentically and participate at every stage of the process.
Valuable 500 is working towards SYNC25, the world’s first Accountability Summit on disability inclusion. The summit will mark the start of a decade of accountability for our partners and companies, bringing 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 in 5 people living with a disability worldwide.
Valuable 500 won't stop until everyone is seen and valued equally. With the support of iconic partners, we are accelerating change and creating a new standard of inclusion in business.
