Disability inclusion in business is a growing topic for investors in driving sustainable performance. The index is determined by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability: IN. 2021 DEI report highlights industry trends and the progress of advancing disability inclusion in business, naming top 17 healthcare firms out of 319 companies who have achieved disability inclusion in their business. Anthem, Blue Cross and Centene lead the top three positions while Unitedhealth Group at the seventeenth.
- A benchmark: The DEI is a prominent benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and America’s top 200 revenue grossing law firms (Am Law 200) to gauge their level of disability workplace inclusion against competitors. In its sixth official year, the DEI continues to see an increase in year-over-year participation, with the number of top-scoring companies more than quadrupling to 319 in 2021 as compared to 43 in 2015.
- Accessibility: The Disability Equality Index top-scoring companies represent those businesses that have invested in accessibility and inclusion across their enterprise. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ADA, it is wonderful to see the progress made by these companies and we hope to see continued progress and support for the DEI over the next 30 years,” said Maria Town, President, and CEO of AAPD.
- Inclusive workplace: Jill Houghton, President & CEO, Disability: IN said “The best way to attract, retain and grow talent with disabilities is to create an accessible, inclusive workplace. This year’s top-scoring Disability Equality Index companies are demonstrating their commitment to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI, recognizing that there’s still room for improvement. We are proud to have developed strong partnerships with corporate allies who are committed to advancing disability inclusion and equality across their businesses in the United States and around the world.”
- Rankings: Anthem holds the no.1 position followed by Blue Cross of Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and California. On the seventh position is Centene followed by Cigna and CVS. Humana has been ranked Thirteenth, preceded by Highmark and Excellus. The list of 17 ends with Kaiser Permanente, Tufts and UnitedHealth Group on the last.
- Mottos: Fortune 1000 companies realize environmental, social and governance factors impact their management, culture, brand and financial well-being. While many companies have identified methods to advance their disability inclusion, companies had recognized current benchmarking tools were inadequate in evaluating disability inclusion as part of their company’s diversity and inclusion, or broader, sustainability efforts.