I lost my leg to bone cancer at age 12. Since then, I have been intimately aware of how people with disabilities are often overlooked by society. The battle for acceptance, recognition, and belonging is real. And though we have made significant strides as a society, we need more leadership on disability inclusion at the highest level of power.
Nasdaq is a great American institution, and its CEO, Adena Friedman, was recently recognized as one of the world’s greatest leaders by Fortune. That’s why it was deeply disappointing that Nasdaq recently refused—twice—the opportunity to lead corporate America toward a deeper embrace of people with disabilities.
For several years, investors have made clear that they recognize the human and financial value of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inclusive companies perform better, and so they are better investments.
I’m sure it seemed to many that Nasdaq, as a representative of investors, demonstrated leadership in December in proposing to require that listed companies have, or explain why they do not have, two diverse board directors: one who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority or LGBTQ.
Millions of people with disabilities were disheartened to learn they were not counted among the “diverse.”
People with disabilities have long been recognized by Congress, the courts, and government agencies as having been subjected to a history of unequal treatment and marginalization based on myths, fears, and stereotypes. Based on this alone, disabled people deserve to be included alongside other underrepresented and marginalized groups.
