Richard Foley

The Valuable 500, which was launched at the World Economic Forum’s annual summit, urges global business leaders to become accountable for disability inclusion in their businesses. Pinsent Masons joins 42 organisations in a pledge to table disability on its board agenda and make a commitment of action for 2019.

The firm, which employs 500 lawyers and support staff in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, will strive to remove barriers for employees with disabilities and promote an environment that supports health and wellbeing for all, including reviewing the firm’s recruitment process to ensure it is fully inclusive and accessible.

Pinsent Masons will advertise in disability-related media and networks to actively look to attract and recruit people with a disability, and will ensure human resource managers have disability inclusion related training.

Richard Foley, senior partner at Pinsent Masons, said: “With honourable exceptions, the business community has been nothing like as vocal or active as it should have been in recognising the challenges faced by disabled colleagues.

“There is so much more we can do to implement changes that enable disabled members of the community to deliver to their potential, and we see the Valuable 500 campaign as part of that.

“We are delighted to be committing to the campaign as part of our wider commitment to promoting equality and diversity through all our employment practices, and to discussing all aspects of inclusion, including disability, as part of our Board agenda. If business can be made to work better for its people - all of its people - we know that everyone benefits.”

Marianne Waite, director of The Valuable 500 campaign, continues to call for support of global business leaders to recognise the importance of disability inclusion in acknowledgement of the 1.3 billion disabled people around the world.

She said: “With the likes of Gett, Alexander Mann Solutions, Pinsent Masons and Porter Novelli amongst the latest cohort of businesses to pledge their support, we are delighted with the momentum The Valuable 500 is gaining. But we urge other global business to follow suit, and put an end to diversish behaviour, because without the support of global businesses and brands, change in society will not happen.”