• by Tanya Gazdik , November 14, 2017

Voya Financial is launching a social media campaign designed in partnership with the Special Olympics.

The week-long effort, “Invest in Something Special,” seeks to help Americans living with special needs and disabilities, and their caregivers, plan for the retirement they deserve.

Voya has pledged to donate up to $500,000 for Special Olympics programs across the country with $1 donated for every comment, "like" and "share" for each athlete's #InvestInSomethingSpecial story. The campaign will culminate in an announcement during December regarding donations to local Special Olympics Programs across the country.

Creative features Special Olympics athletes sharing their near-term goals along with their lifetime aspirations. The program aligns with the Voya Cares program, which seeks to help Americans living with special needs and disabilities, and their caregivers, plan for retirement.

Olympics athletes can use the #InvestInSomethingSpecial hashtag to tag their story. To view all the athletes' stories and learn about the program, consumers can visit www.InvestInSomethingSpecial.tumblr.com.

Nearly 21 million families in the U.S. have at least one member with a disability, and households where at least one family member has an intellectual disability have the highest poverty rate in the U.S. Voya has designed programming to support this underserved population given its size and the need for tailored advice and resources.

Individuals with disabilities are the largest U.S.-based minority group and one that spans race, gender, age and other demographics.Voya has released new research highlighting the need for companies to think more inclusively about supporting employees with special needs or who are caregivers to individuals with disabilities. 

Families with special needs are often underrepresented and overlooked in the workplace. Voya research discovered that while 81% of working American adults believe their workplace is diverse, only 33% say their workforce includes individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities. Furthermore, 42% of respondents were unsure if their employer had organized hiring programs or offered financial and retirement planning tools geared toward this group of Americans.