The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complimentary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporations and the disability community. The tool was developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates.

The DEI was first introduced in 2012. A pilot index was conducted with 48 participating companies in 2014. Following the pilot index, the annual DEI has continued – with now over 319 participating companies.

Please Note: A score of 100 does not mean to convey “perfection.” AAPD and Disability:IN recognize there is no single best way to practice inclusion, and that some practices may be more effective for some companies or industries than others. A score of 100 on the DEI simply means that a company adheres to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI, but there’s still room for improvement.

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.

The DEI is an objective, reflective and forward-thinking disability inclusion rating tool to assist business. View the brochure “Measuring Your Disability Inclusion” for more information.

• Recognition: For top-scoring companies, the DEI score builds brand recognition among potential and current employees, investors, and customers – including those with disabilities and their friends and families. Top-scoring companies are given the DEI “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion ™” logo, amongst many other benefits including, but not limited to:

• • Featured as a DEI Best Places to Work on the DEI website
  • Recognition in joint Disability:IN/AAPD national press release with other top-scoring companies
  • Individual company recognition via social media
  • May have a best practice(s) published in the DEI Annual Report or DEI Best Practices Report

• Industry Data and Analysis: The DEI report and index informs companies of best and emerging practices and points them toward peers in the business community that are already high performers. All company participants, regardless of score, receive a complimentary copy of the annual DEI Report, which consists of detailed aggregate results and benchmarking information from the annual DEI.
• Benchmarking Insight: Companies receive a scorecard outlining areas in which the company excels, as well as areas of improvement. 75% of companies take the DEI more than once for long-term benchmarking to ensure sustainable results.
• Network Connections: Participating companies receive an invitation to the exclusive “DEI Top-Scoring Companies” reception at the Disability:IN Annual Conference. In addition, at the Disability:IN Annual Conference there are breakout sessions where companies, in similar and varied industries, share best practices for leveraging the DEI for company success.
• Customized DEI Consulting Services: Participating companies are offered customized DEI consulting services specifically geared towards increasing their DEI score. This is especially useful for companies that score below 80 and want to become a top-scoring company, a company that is striving for 100 score, as well as companies that want to maintain their score as the index continually evolves.

While other tools exist, the DEI is unique in its comprehensive nature, focusing on all aspects of disability inclusion, such as Culture & Leadership, Accessibility across the enterprise, a wide range of Employment Practices, Community Engagement Supplier Diversity and Non-U.S. Operations.

The DEI takes an average of 30-40 hours to complete and often requires coordination with other departments within the company. Other tools may take just a few hours and may not provide the in-depth analysis and insight the DEI provides. Repeat participants are also given the option to import previous year’s responses.

Although there may be other tools to measure disability inclusion, the DEI is also a network of companies striving to advance their disability inclusion efforts. The trusted network operates in confidentiality and transparency, and best practices and failures are shared. Disability:IN brings a sense of community to participating companies of the DEI and provides exclusive networking opportunities at the Disability:IN Annual Conference.

As such, the DEI is more than just an index, and focuses on building relationships and consensus with executives in Fortune 1000 companies to advance overall inclusion practices and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

AAPD and Disability:IN are honored to be working with the DEI Advisory Committee — a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates, who have assembled to share with AAPD and the Disability:IN their knowledge, expertise, and vision to enhance disability inclusion policies and practices in the US business community.  A full listing of the DEI Advisory Committee members can be found here.

To view the DEI questions, you can download them here: PDF, Word, or Excel.

The DEI measures a wide range of criteria within six (6) categories. The breakdown of categories, subcategories, and point values is as follows:

• Culture & Leadership = 30 points
  • Culture = 20 points
  • Leadership = 10 points
• Enterprise-Wide Access = 10 points
  • Enterprise-Wide Access = 10 points
• Employment Practices = 40 points
  • Benefits = 10 points
  • Recruitment = 10 points
  • Employment, Education, Retention, & Advancement = 10 points
  • Accommodations = 10 points
• Community Engagement = 10 points
  • Community Engagement = 10 points
• Supplier Diversity = 10 points
  • Supplier Diversity = 10 points
• Non-U.S. Operations = Non-Weighted

The DEI is similar in nature to the HRC model because it is a national, transparent benchmarking tool that offers major employers an opportunity to receive an objective score on their self-reported policies and practices. The DEI is designed to highlight best practices and help employers identify resources to improve their disability inclusion efforts.

Federal contractors will find great value in participating in the DEI. However, the DEI is not a 503 federal contractor compliance assessment. The DEI utilizes a holistic approach that evaluates inclusion practices across the business, which is important in creating a culture that supports compliance with the new 503 regulations.

We will work in partnership with employers to provide technical assistance and to help identify ways to improve their inclusion practices, and in doing so improve their DEI scores. Our approach is centered on collaboration and positive recognition. Companies interested in improving their DEI scores should email [email protected].

The DEI is intended to serve as a benchmark for all organizations no matter where they are in their disability inclusion journey. It is expected that the DEI will evolve over time as disability inclusion practices that are innovative today become more universally accepted across corporate America and around the world.

Of course, any changes to DEI criteria will be made public well in advance of going into effect.