For the sixth year in a row, American Airlines has received the top score of 100 (on a score of 0 to 100) on the Disability Equality Index (DEI). The DEI is a benchmarking tool launched in 2015 by Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), created to help companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Companies that score 80 and above are recognised as a ‘Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion’ by the DEI.
“We have a mission to care for all people on life’s journey and that starts with our team members,” said Cedric Rockamore, American Airlines’ VP of global people operations and diversity & inclusion. “We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people of all abilities feel welcomed and respected across our global organisation. American is incredibly proud of this achievement because the recognition acknowledges the airline’s continued work to build an inclusive workplace for all employees.”
Globally, people with disabilities represent more than 1 billion people across all lines of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and religion.
The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the USA’s largest disability rights organisation, and Disability:IN, a global business disability inclusion network. The DEI was created seven years ago by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts and disability advocates, to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment/underemployment of people with disabilities.
The DEI examines the practices and procedures that companies are implementing in the following categories to select the top scorers: Culture & leadership; enterprise-wide access; employment practices (benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention & advancement, accommodations); community engagement; supplier diversity; and non-USA operations.
