Congrats on earning a top score on the Disability Equality Index®!
Announcement and Embargo Release Date: Tuesday, July 16th, 2024 at 8:00 a.m. ET
Congratulations on earning a top score on the Disability Equality Index! This document guides cross-functional teams, including marketing and communications, finance and investment, senior leadership, and other departments to announce your well-deserved recognition.
We encourage you to share your score with your employees, stakeholders, board of directors, senior leadership, customers, and suppliers. You are empowered to get creative when sharing your top score announcement to best reflect your brand identity and tone for maximum reach and visibility. Once you’re ready to dive back in, we’re here to help meet you where you are to help continue building a culture of inclusion for all people.
This toolkit includes assets for social media, approved quotes that you may lift for your company’s press release, boilerplate about Disability:IN and the Disability Equality Index, thought-starters and examples for sharing your top score with various stakeholders and audiences, and assets for all scores and benchmark countries.
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
How We Recognize Your Company
On Tuesday, July 16th, Disability:IN will make public announcements on all owned channels starting at 8:00 AM EST. This includes social media, websites, and email campaigns.
Websites | Twitter/X | ||||
Disability:IN | DisabilityIN.org | twitter.com/DisabilityIN | facebook.com/DisabilityIN | LinkedIn.com/company/DisabilityIN | instagram.com/DisabilityIN |
Hashtags |
Recommended hashtags: #DisabilityInclusion #AreYouIN? #BestPlaceToWork24 |
Recommended hashtags: #BestPlaceToWork24 | Recommended hashtags: #AreYouIN #BestPlaceToWork24 | Recommended hashtags: #DisabilityInclusion #BestPlaceToWork24 |
All top-scoring companies will be recognized in an article on Disability:IN’s LinkedIn. We will amplify and engage with each company’s announcement on their channels. Please see below for suggested posts and assets that you can use to spread the word about your recognition.
Please alert and encourage your corporate communications teams to share any social media posts from Disability:IN recognizing your company’s efforts.
In-Person and On-Site at the Disability:IN Global Conference (July 15-18 in Las Vegas)
On Tuesday, July 16, your Disability Equality Index top-scoring company will be recognized during the Disability:IN Conference Afternoon Plenary: All IN: Announcing the 2024 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion and Inclusion Award Winners at 3:00 PM PST.
Physical awards may be ordered from and shipped by Red Swag, a Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE) and authorized awards vendor, for a nominal production and shipping fee through this order form.
Top-scoring companies in attendance at the Global Conference can stop by and get their photo taken with the Disability Equality Index Award and backdrop on Tuesday, July 16th from 8:00-5:00 PM, location information will be posted on the conference agenda. These photos will be shared directly via email from the photographers onsite at the conference.
There’s still time to register to attend virtually: conference.disabilityin.org. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Sharing with Stakeholders – Sample Formats
Below are numerous ways other top-scoring companies have shared their Disability Equality Index score in the past with stakeholders.
Feel free to use a variety of channels to message your score (examples + supporting material in this toolkit):
- Company website
- Career and/or diversity & inclusion webpage
- Social media accounts
- Email signature line
- Press Release boilerplate
- Recruiting materials
- Employee Resource Group (ERG) materials
- Self-Disclosure Campaigns
- Company-wide town halls
Press/News Release
- Airbnb: AirBnb recognized as a Disability Equality Index Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
- CBRE: “CBRE Named “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for Third Consecutive Year”
- Grant Thornton: “Grant Thornton named to 2023 “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” list”
- Whirlpool: “Whirlpool Corporation Named “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the Seventh Straight Year”
Industry Specific Press
- Progressive Grocer Release: “Which Food Retailers Are Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion?”
- Vogue Business: “How Gucci is Using Tech to Aid Blind and Low Vision Customers.”
Stakeholder Impact Report
- Salesforce’s FY23 Stakeholder Impact Report: The Office of Accessibility partners with internal stakeholders to ensure compliance, highlight accessibility needs, develop improvement plans, and build workforce development programs.
Website Spotlight
- Accenture Website: Inclusion & Diversity> Enabling change for persons with disabilities
- Eaton Website: Eaton named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for the third year in a row.
- Salesforce Website: Salesforce Named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for Fifth Year.
- Target Website: People with disabilities
Social Media Activation
- AIG Instagram Post (rebranded graphic)
- Cummins’ LinkedIn Post (blog post link)
- Principal Financial Group’s Post (Video post)
- Procter & Gamble’s Post (Tweet)
- Voya Financial Tweet (slideshow video)
Your scorecard provides insight into how well your company has advanced inclusion for each category. There are six (6) categories within the 2024 Disability Equality Index benchmark. We recommend taking relevant sections of the scorecard and meeting with team leads to review opportunities for advancement.
- Culture & Leadership = HR.
- Enterprise-Wide Access = Technology, HR, Marketing & Communications
- Employment Practices = HR
- Community Engagement = CSR
- Supplier Diversity = Supplier Diversity
- Non-U.S. Operations = Supplier Diversity, International, HR
As a top scoring company, your team may choose to communicate your top score with external stakeholders. Below are a few ways we have seen top-scoring companies communicate their scores:
- Accenture – 2023 360* Value Report (Score on Page 15 of the report)
- Experian – 2023 DEI Report (Score on Page 26 of the report)
- Proctor & Gamble – 2022 Citizenship Report (Score on Page 42 of the report)
- Target – 2023 Sustainability and Governance Report (Score on Page 5 of the report)
- Walmart – 2023 CDEI Report (Score on Page 10 of the report)
Encouraging Employee Self Identification
- “From Compliance to Culture” [Research]
- Best Practices for Self ID [Resource]
- Disability Fundamentals for Managers [Training Course]
- Disability Etiquette- a starting guide [Infographic]
- On the Verge: Disability and Sustainability- U.S. Report | European Report [Research Series]
Leverage Disability-Focused Employee/Business Resource Groups
- E/BRG Resource Toolkit [Comprehensive Toolkit]
- ERG Maturity Model Matrix [Resource]
- BRG Executive Sponsor Role Fact Sheet [Resource]
Conduct Internal & External Digital Accessibility Audits
- Procure Access [Program]
- Building Blocks of Accessible Procurement [Resource]
- Accessible Procurement Toolkit [Toolkit]
- Accessible Procurement Resources
Modernize Corporate Governance
- Inclusion of People with Disabilities as Diverse Board Members [Memorandum]
- Proxy Statements and Voting Guidelines for Disability Disclosures [Resource]
- Nom Gov Language [Resource]
- Gobal Boardroom Diversity Legal Findings on Disability & Board Diversity [Research]
- Boards Are IN [Initiative]
- Investors Are IN [Initiative]
Accelerate Expenditures with Disability Owned Businesses
- Supplier Diversity [Program]
- Economic Impact of Disability Owned Businesses [Infographic]
Additional Resources
- The Disability Inclusion Imperative [Research]
- Global Directory [Database] – Disability inclusion database providing country specific definitions of disability, legislation, employer legal requirements, accessibility requirements, and in-country resources.
- CEOs Are IN [Initiative]
- Disability:IN Policy & Research initiatives
Messaging Your Score
Do not use the term “perfect” in any of your Disability Equality Index top-score promotional materials. “Top-score” or “top-scorer” are the preferred terms.
Receiving a 100 on the Disability Equality Index is NOT a “perfect score” – there is always room to advance disability inclusion. Employers that have earned a 100 score on the benchmark have satisfied the criteria for that year and are recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
These criteria have been created to encourage employers to participate in the index year after year and to advance the best practices that should be expected of all large employers. The criteria have always been intended to evolve as more employers adopt existing criteria and new best practices emerge.
Other Messaging Requirements:
- Include the registered mark “®” in superscript for the first reference of the Disability Equality Index. When referencing the Disability Equality Index, include a hyperlink to http://www.disabilityequalityindex.org website.
- Do not abbreviate Disability Equality Index as “DEI”; please either spell out “Disability Equality Index” on all references or refer to as “the benchmark” or “the index.”
Score Logos & Social Graphics
This section includes general logos for Disability:IN, the Disability Equality Index, as well as score- and country-specific logos.
Note: Each company is only permitted to use the logo for their earned score and benchmarked country. If you have questions about which logos your company is permitted to use, please email [email protected].
Click to expand each section below then click the hyperlinks to download each graphic.
General Logos & Usage Guidelines
- Logo Use Guide
- Disability:IN Logo & Disability:IN Logo Use Guide
- Disability Equality Index – no score, no year logo (general)
You may also use the Disability Equality Index logos below that do not include a score
Note: Each company is only permitted to use the logo for their earned score and benchmarked country. If you have questions about which logos your company is permitted to use, please email [email protected].
Click the hyperlinks below to download the graphics.
Brazil
Philippines
United Kingdom
United States
If you would like to use a custom graphic, download this graphic and place your company logo in the placeholder. To do this, just open this graphic in a photo editing software/platform.
Communications Assets and Materials
Press Release Document containing:
- Pre-Approved Quotes from Disability:IN
- Boilerplates for each organization
- Key Messaging & Overview of the Disability Equality Index
Feel free to tweak the following to better align with your company’s brand and voice.
- [Company] is proud to have earned a XX on the Disability Equality Index. It’s an honor to be recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion, and we are proud to be recognized as a #BestPlaceToWork24 for #DisabilityInclusion! Learn more about the #DisabilityEqualityIndex via @Disability:IN at https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/
- We just earned a top score on the #DisabilityEqualityIndex! [Company] is IN and we are proud to be recognized as a #BestPlaceToWork24 for Disability Inclusion. Learn more on @DisabilityIN https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/
- Disability inclusion drives #Innovation, and at [Company], we recognize the value of disability inclusion for our employees & customers. We are excited to share that we have earned a top score on the #DisabilityEqualityIndex and have been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by @DisabilityIN. Learn more about the tool at https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/
- Thank you @DisabilityIN for recognizing [Company] as a top-scorer on the Disability Equality Index! This award further affirms our continued commitment to #DisabilityInclusion for all of our employees. #AreYouIN? Learn more about the tool at https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/
As companies post about their disability inclusion efforts, it’s a best practice to ensure those social media posts are accessible. For example, photos should have alt text descriptions and videos should include captions. For additional guidance, we recommend reviewing our Toolkit for Creating Accessible Social Media Content. Other great resources are the Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit Hackpad, and How to Make Your Facebook or Instagram Posts More Accessible.
- Allstate: social media graphic provided
- American Water: headquarters and general DEI logo
- Comcast Careers: collage and DEI logo with score
- Dell: Inclusive Workplace
- Marriott: Executive share
- Nestle: Employee story spotlight (video and blog)
- Prudential: employee picture + career-focused twitter account “Prudential Talent”
- Randstad USA: ERG Spotlight
- SAP: statement plus general DEI logo
- TD Bank: team photo and event promotion
- The Hartford: DEI logo with score
- Travelers: Executives posing with physical award
- UnitedHealth Group: e-signature
- Wells Fargo: team-wide ambassadorship
About the Disability Equality Index
The Disability Equality Index has become the leading independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate disability inclusion policies and programs, and is now trusted by more than 70% of the United States Fortune 100 and nearly half of the Fortune 500. Such companies must increasingly consider how emerging global reporting directives and stakeholder expectations surrounding social and corporate governance factors impact their operational, cultural, reputational and financial performance.
The Disability Equality Index is an objective, reflective, forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. It is a comprehensive benchmark that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions across five scored categories: Culture & Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices, Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity. Participating companies receive a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those scoring 80 or higher earning the distinction of “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the benchmark year.
Findings from a two-year Global Disability Equality Index pilot informed the launch of a scored benchmark that opened in 2024 to seven new countries in addition to the United States. These include: Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. Now in its 10th year, the Disability Equality Index has grown nearly 7x since 2015, expanding from 80 companies in its first year to 541 in 2024. Collectively, the 2024 edition received 748 submissions spanning the eight benchmarked countries.
About Disability:IN
Disability:IN is a global organization driving disability inclusion and equality in business. More than 500 corporations partner with Disability:IN to create long-term business and social impact through the world’s most comprehensive disability inclusion benchmarking and reporting tool, the Disability Equality Index; best-in-class conferences and programs; expert counsel and engagement; and public policy leadership. To learn more about Disability:IN’s key initiatives including Boards Are IN, Investors Are IN, and CEOs Are IN, visit www.disabilityin.org
Additional Opportunities to Join IN!
Scorecards
Each company that completes the Disability Equality Index receives a custom-scored report that details the company’s score (broken down by benchmark category) and responses to every Disability Equality Index question. A custom scorecard highlighting performance by category along with insights on areas of strength as well as potential improvement is also included. The scorecard also includes a “Response Comparisons” table. The first column shows how you responded to Disability Equality Index multiple-choice questions this year, the second column recognizes the percentages of how your responses compare to all companies, and the third column recognizes the percentages of how your responses compare to those companies within your industry.
Disability Equality Index Deep Dives
Disability:IN offers customized, company-specific Disability Equality Index Deep Dive presentations. These 60-minute virtual sessions allow for a Disability:IN team member to provide analysis, insights, and recommendations related to your company’s Disability Equality Index results. The presentation examines your company’s responses to the benchmark questions and compares your results to the aggregate performance of all participating companies as well as industry-specific insights. Deep Dive presentations can be scheduled using Disability:IN’s Engagement Request Form and are available as a complimentary partnership benefit for companies at the Influencer, Presenting and Headliner levels as well as for Inclusion Works companies or at an additional cost for non-partners or companies at the Connecter, Collaborator or Thought Leader levels. Please contact Mackenzie Ward, Director of Corporate Relations, at [email protected] with questions about partnerships and pricing.
As you review your scorecard, you may want to begin advancing inclusion in certain areas of business. The Disability:IN website, under “Resources”, has a variety of resources for teams to dive into, including the “On the Verge” Research Series, “The Disability Inclusion Imperative” Report, “Disability Etiquette” and more.
Additionally, you can invite your Employee Resource Groups, team members, and senior leadership to sign up for our mailing list to receive relevant communications on how they can advance inclusion in their capacity.
Inclusion Works provides participating companies with unlimited, customized, virtual and onsite consulting provided by a team of disability inclusion experts. We help you create an inclusive culture while simultaneously developing a sustainable recruitment strategy.
Joining Inclusion Works also connects your company to a Community of Corporations with exclusive meetings and shared best and evolving practices. To-date the community of corporations have hired over 383,000 people with disabilities. Learn more about Inclusion Works.
Over 200 CEOs have now signed the Disability:IN CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion. You can learn more about the campaign and how your CEO can join “IN” at DisabilityIN.org/CEOs-Are-IN.
Any asset-managing company or financial institution is also invited to join “IN” as an investor. Learn more at: DisabilityIN.org/investors-are-in/.
Disability:IN’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Communications Officer (CCO) Coalition endeavors to accelerate disability inclusion across the marketing and communications professions at large. Membership on the Coalition is role-specific and is open to those holding the title of Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Communications Officer at Disability:IN Partner Companies. To learn more about the Coalition visit: https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/committees/cmo-cco-coalition/.
Gain year-over-year benchmark insights and register for the 2025 Disability Equality Index. Registration opens Fall 2024. Register at www.disabilityequalityindex.org/register. Additional information on how to register will be forthcoming.
2025 Disability Equality Index Timeline Overview
- Registration Opens: October 2024
- Disability Equality Index Submissions Close: April 2025