Danske Bank commits to disability inclusion

The organisation, launched at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Summit in Davos in January, strives to place disability inclusion at the top of business agendas by holding global business leaders accountable for disability inclusion in their businesses.

Danske Bank UK is the largest bank in Northern Ireland, operating 42 branches and three regional business centres. Its commitment to The Valuable 500 forms part of its mission to advance the work of its Disability Action Group, said chief financial officer Stephen Matchett.

“Our ambition is to be an inclusive business and to do more to help create a more inclusive society when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion.

“I believe passionately in the need for companies like ours to show leadership on disability inclusion.

“It benefits our workplace, our customers and our business and we can be a power for good when it comes to creating greater awareness across Northern Irish society.

“We have committed to discuss disability inclusion at Board level and have set up a disability action group within the bank to actively promote inclusion around disabilities in the workplace.”

The move comes as Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton, last week stated that “Disabled people can bring a wealth of skills and talents to an organisation, and smart employers are making sure that they are not missing out on this untapped pool of talent”.

Launched by founder of #valuable Caroline Casey at DAVOS last month, The Valuable 500 marks the first time that DAVOS included disability on the main stage with the support of global business leaders.

“For Danske Bank UK to be the first Northern Irish company to sign up to The Valuable 500 is a true milestone,” Ms Casey said.

“With the support of companies like Danske, we can continue the inclusion revolution we are seeing take place today, and can unleash the potential of the 1.3 billion disabled people across the globe.”