Workforce disability inclusion at some of America’s largest companies is in a healthier shape than ever before, according to Disability:IN’s latest Disability Equality Index which was announced on Monday.
There remains, however, one crucial area where progress appears slow and disability finds itself lagging well behind other diversity segments – its absence at the boardroom level. According to the findings of the in-depth report released to accompany the index, only 7% of surveyed companies reported having a director on their board who openly identifies as disabled.
Furthermore, the same paltry percentage represents the number of companies that even mention disability in corporate governance documentation concerning the nomination of new board directors.
Disability:IN’s Disability Equality Index has been around since 2015 when it was launched in partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities. Today, it is widely recognized as a comprehensive high-level tool for benchmarking workplace disability inclusion. The survey poses detailed questions on areas such as culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement and supplier diversity.
