The IPC and The Valuable 500 to partner to drive disability inclusion

• The two organisations have signed a co-operation agreement to pursue mutually beneficial initiatives

As part of both organisations’ efforts to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and The Valuable 500 have signed a co-operation agreement to collaborate on mutually beneficial initiatives.

Under the terms of the agreement, the IPC and The Valuable 500 will partner to deliver a global communications campaign around the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in collaboration with several other organisations. The two parties will collaborate on major events, explore shared interests around strategy, policy, development and the promotion of persons with disabilities. In addition, the IPC will also aim to engage and encourage its commercial and broadcast partners, as well as suppliers, to join The Valuable 500.

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: "We are tremendously excited by our partnership with The Valuable 500 as it will help create greater opportunities for persons with disabilities and help change the storyline around disability.

"In today’s age, it is totally unacceptable that the number of persons with disabilities in employment around the world is nowhere near reflective of the 15 per cent global population who have a disability.

"Research has proven that Para sport, and in particular the Paralympic Games, act as a catalyst to changing attitudes towards disability which, in turn, leads to greater employment opportunities. We hope this partnership with The Valuable 500 can create even more opportunities for the wider disability community.

"Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, we are establishing a network of organisations who share our passion for inclusion such as The Valuable 500 and the International Disability Alliance. By working together, we will launch a major global campaign that will aim to change the stigma attached to disability and fight the discrimination persons with disabilities face on a daily basis."

Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, said: "In order to achieve true equality for people with disabilities, we need to work together to create a society which is equal for all. If we don’t start to incorporate all areas of inclusion then we will never make progress.

"It’s great to partner with the IPC to help further shine a spotlight on the lived experience of those with a disability. It’s time we all came together to upend the stigma that surrounds people with a disability and start to change the narrative.

"We look forward to working with the IPC and being part of the many initiatives happening over the course of the next year."

Launched in 2019 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, The Valuable 500 calls on business leaders to foster innovations enabling persons with disabilities to realise their potential value in society, business and the economy. An official partner programme of the World Economic Forum, The Valuable 500 is the only global business CEO collective focussed on disability inclusion in business.

To date, more than 340 leading companies from 31 countries have committed to putting disability inclusion on their business leadership agenda. They represent a total revenue of over USD 4.5 billion (EUR 3.8 billion) and over 12 million employees. Many IPC partners and suppliers are already signed up including Airbnb, Atos, Channel 4, Citi, Coca Cola European Partners, Dentsu and Ottobock.

Founded in 1989, the IPC is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Its vision is to make for a more inclusive world through Para sport, while its mission is to lead the Paralympic Movement, oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and support members to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence.

Research following London 2012 showed that one in three people in Great Britain changed their attitudes towards disability as a result of the Paralympic Games. Six years later, the Office of National Statistics highlighted that one million more persons with disabilities were in employment compared to before the 2012, underlining the seismic impact of the Paralympics on British society.

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About the International Paralympic Committee

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Its vision is to make for an inclusive society through Para sport. Founded on 22 September 1989, the

IPC is an international non-profit organisation with more than 200 members made up of National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, Regional Organisations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled.

The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Philip Dorward, IPC Head of Communications on e-mail: philip.dorward@paralympic.org. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org.

About The Valuable 500

Launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019, The Valuable 500 aims to put disability on the global business leadership agenda.

The Valuable 500 was created by Binc, the organisation founded by Caroline Casey in 2015, with a mission to ignite a historic global movement for a new age of business inclusion - capitalising on Caroline Casey’s 18-year track record of success engaging over 450 organisations. The campaign has won three awards: a Cannes Lion, D&AD, and a BIMA.

Our goal is to persuade 500 multinational companies that have at least 1,000 employees to make a public commitment to advance disability inclusion in their organisation. By engaging the most influential business leaders and brands, we want to create a tipping point within business that unlocks the business, social and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world, and the millions of us who will become disabled over time.

We believe that if business takes a lead, society and government will follow, truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.

For more information please contact richard@thevaluable500.com or visit www.TheValuable500.com