A group of institutional investors representing more than $1 trillion in combined assets are calling on the companies they invest in to do more to include people with disabilities in the workforce.
The initiative is being led by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, and includes California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), Voya Financial, Inc., American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and the state treasurers of Illinois, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont, among other institutional investors.
“Disability inclusion provides businesses with a great opportunity to improve their bottom lines, while boosting diversity and innovation,” said DiNapoli in a statement. “We want to know that our investment dollars are being used to maximize a company’s potential and its long-term profitability. Disability inclusion expands the pool of talent companies can hire from and creates welcoming workplaces that foster different perspectives, giving an enterprise a competitive edge.”