- Nine of Australia’s biggest companies have committed to ending the disability 
inequality crisis by signing up to The Valuable 500
- This announcement is made as new report reveals 42% of people on jobseeker 
benefits in Australia have a disability 
- Westpac and Telstra are the latest to join, following AGL, ANZ Global, 
Macquarie Group, APM, Gilbert + Tobin, Mirvac and Brambles who have already 
committed. 
- The Valuable 500 is the global movement which is working to get 500 of the 
world’s largest businesses to commit to placing disability inclusion on their 
business leadership agendas.

Nine of Australia’s leading companies are making a stand against the disability 
inequality crisis by signing up to The Valuable 500. The global movement, 
launched at Davos in 2019, is the largest global CEO network of businesses 
fighting for inclusion. 

Westpac and Telstra today join AGL, ANZ Global, Macquarie Group, APM, Gilbert + 
Tobin, Mirvac and Brambles who have already committed to inclusion on the board 
agenda. They join global brands including Microsoft, Bloomberg, Salesforce, 
Financial Times, AirBnB, Google, and Coca Cola Europe. 

Over 4.4 million people in Australia, 1 in 5 people, have some form of 
disability, and they are routinely ignored from society. By engaging with the 
most influential business leaders and brands, The Valuable 500 wants to create 
a tipping point within business that unlocks the value of the 1.3 billion 
people living with disabilities around the world. The latest commitment from 
these 9 companies will affect over 150,000 employees with a combined revenue of 
over Australian $66.92 billion. 

Launched by activist Caroline Casey, The Valuable 500 now has over 335 
companies signed up. The combined revenue of our current members is now over 
$4.5 trillion, with 12 million employees and reaching across 31 countries.

Andrew Liveris, Former Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company and Global 
Champion of The Valuable 500 says:
“It was a privilege for me to have been the Chairman and CEO of Dow for 15 
years.  On the job, I learnt about barriers and unconscious biases.  Last 
century’s conscious biases have become this century’s unconscious biases.  The 
topic of ignoring disability in the inclusion statement is one that is near and 
dear to my heart. 
 
I am delighted that the CEOs of these amazing, iconic, Australian companies 
have joined the Valuable 500 making the commitment, to place disability 
inclusion on their business leadership agendas.   Our license to operate comes 
from humanity. It’s from people. That is our license to be here.  To include 
all of us, and reflect all of us in their markets, in their talent search, in 
their workforce, means our quest to build out the opportunities of the 21st 
Century has just got so much stronger. This is inclusion of the fullest kind. 
 
I applaud the work of the Valuable 500 and the recruitment of these likeminded 
CEOs who are setting the tone from the top, leading from the front, but 
following fast which is what the integrated organisation now demands today.” 

Andy Penn, Chief Executive Officer of Telstra said:
 “I’m proud to have committed Telstra to the Valuable 500 which mirrors our own 
mission to continually improve accessibility and inclusion. Our purpose: to 
create a connected future where everyone can thrive, guides and challenges us 
to create products and services for all our customers - ensuring no-one is left 
behind. An initiative like the Valuable 500 plays an incredibly important role 
in raising awareness of disability inequality and what's needed make the world 
a more inclusive place.”  

Peter King, CEO of Westpac says:
“Westpac has a long history of supporting accessibility and we’re pleased to 
join The Valuable 500 initiative to drive more awareness of the importance of 
disability inclusion. Westpac has had an Access and Inclusion Plan for almost 
20 years now, which outlines our commitments to providing an inclusive and 
accessible workplace for our employees, customers and the community. This is 
supported by our continued and proactive focus on the accessible design of 
products, services, communications, careers and experiences across our 
portfolio.  At Westpac, we believe there should be no barriers to success.”

Caroline Casey, founder The Valuable 500 says: 
“Recent statistics came to light in Australia highlighting 42% of people on 
jobseeker benefits had disabilities that prevented them from working full-time, 
compared to only 7% in 2007. They are facing an inequality crisis that needs to 
be addressed. No country can reach its full potential when it is ignoring parts 
of society for being different. I am thrilled to have these companies on board 
and look forward to more global brands and businesses recognising the 
importance of inclusion across the board”.

For more information please visit: www.thevaluable500.com

Source: The Valuable 500