10 years strong

by Juneen Kirk, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience, Marketing & Commercial Expansion, Workplace Solutions

This year, we mark the 10th anniversary of the Voya Cares program — a milestone that reflects both the long arc of our commitment to disability inclusion and our belief in doing what’s right for customers, colleagues and communities.

On April 7, we’re kicking off the celebration by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), where we launched Voya Cares nearly a decade ago. As we look back, we’re also looking ahead — rededicating ourselves to the work still to come as we continue building a more disability-inclusive future.

Voya Cares brings our purpose to life by working to expand inclusion, understanding and opportunity for the disabilities community. This anniversary year is about honoring what we’ve built together and accelerating what’s next.

How it all started

The seeds of Voya Cares were planted in April 2016, at an Executive Leadership Team meeting in Orlando, Florida. “I was there and remember discussing how millions of people in the disabilities community had unique financial-planning needs that were not being met by the financial services industry,” said Voya CEO Heather Lavallee.

One in four adults in the U.S. has some type of disability,¹ and another quarter of American adults provide ongoing care to an adult or child with a medical condition or disability.² Recognizing both the scale and complexity of these needs, a task force was formed to analyze how Voya could better support this underserved market.

Voya Cares grew out of that work and remains one of the few programs in the financial services industry focused on supporting the disabilities community — at home, in the workplace and beyond.

“I got involved because I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of others,” Heather added. “Ultimately, the work had an even bigger impact on me.”

Why we’re celebrating

Over the past 10 years, Voya Cares has reached a number of meaningful milestones, including:

• Producing the Invest in Something Special campaign, resulting in $520,000 donated to Special Olympics to share among its 52 U.S. programs.³
• Ongoing participation in the Disability Equality Index and recognition as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for eight consecutive years.⁴
• Helping found the CEO Commission for Disability Employment — alongside the National Down Syndrome Society and the Society for Human Resource Management — to advance disability-inclusive employment.
• Launching our first-ever MyOrangeMoney® module providing financial planning guidance for employees with disabilities and caregivers.
• Sharing proprietary research on employees with disabilities, caregivers, employment extenders and disabled veterans.
• Hosting C21 dining experiences across the country to help advocate for equal employment opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome.
• Establishing a business grant program for entrepreneurs with Down syndrome.

Proprietary research coinciding with our 10-year anniversary points to real progress. Since 2018, workplace inclusion has improved, with supervisor awareness of employees with disabilities rising to 91% (from 81%), alongside gains in flexibility and employees’ ability to balance work and life.⁵

At the same time, challenges persist. More than one in five individuals with disabilities report experiencing discrimination when seeking financial planning support — five times the rate of the general population.⁵ These realities reinforce why the work of Voya Cares remains as important as ever.

“Looking back over the decade, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished — and there’s still a lot more to do,” Heather said.

Taking action in 2026

As part of our anniversary celebration, Voya leaders, disability advocates, policymakers and industry leaders will again gather at the NYSE to ring in what’s next for Voya Cares.

Throughout 2026, we’ll focus on deepening our commitment to the disabilities community by:

• Expanding and preparing more financial professionals to help with the unique aspects of financial planning for people with disabilities and caregivers.
• Educating and supporting the disabilities community as well as financial professionals and intermediaries to better recognize and meet unique financial planning needs.
• Raising awareness of the often-overlooked disabilities community through national and local events, expanded awareness and refreshed services and solutions.

Together, these efforts will reinforce our commitment to making a positive difference from birth through aging by delivering focused knowledge, educational resources, advocacy and integrated financial solutions.

How you can help

This anniversary year — and beyond — let’s continue building disability-inclusive workplaces together. Visit the Voya Cares resource center or connect with the Voya Cares team at voya.cares@voya.com for focused knowledge that makes a difference.

“I’m grateful to everyone who has supported Voya Cares over the last decade,” Heather said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do in the years ahead.”

Learn About What the Next 10 Years Will Bring for Voya Cares