Global NGO Disability:IN has partnered with White & Case and Thomson Reuters Foundation to publish a blueprint to help multinational companies navigate new disability-inclusive legislation under the EU regulatory framework. The new mandates, set to begin in early 2025, formally establish accessibility and disability inclusion as key components of ESG standards for the first time, according to Disability:IN. They will require companies to comply with accessibility requirements, as well as recognise the material financial impact of disability inclusion on long-term business success. This regulatory shift is outlined in three pieces of legislation: the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
“Together, these directives redefine how corporations must report on, address and measure disability in all aspects of their operations,” Disability:IN said.
The release of the blueprint follows the expansion of Disability:IN’s Equality Index into seven countries outside the US earlier this year, driven by a growing demand for “culturally appropriate” tools to measure disability inclusion efforts in multinational corporations leading up to the new EU regulations. “We are rapidly approaching a time where corporate accessibility and disability inclusion practices are no longer optional, but essential business imperatives,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN. “By adopting these practices, companies not only meet regulatory requirements, but unlock new avenues for innovation, customer loyalty and growth.” Carolina Henriquez-Schmitz, Director at TrustLaw – a pro bono legal network initiative under the Thomson Reuters Foundation – also spoke of an increasing demand for transparency on disability in corporate disclosure, with related voluntary and mandatory reporting standards proliferating.
