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The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities
There are an estimated 54 million
people with disabilities in this country. They represent a tremendous market of
underutilized talent. Only 32 percent of working-age
Americans with disabilities are employed, but two-thirds of those who are
jobless would rather be working, according to the National Organization on
Disabilities (N.O.D.) (See also: Helping Students With
Disabilities Find Jobs) N.O.D.
also notes that the disability community represents nearly one-fifth of the U.S.
population, which is an untapped market worth more than $220 billion in
collective spending power. Everyone has a friend or relative with a
disability—and those people support companies that are good to people with
disabilities. How are companies
recruiting, retaining and promoting employees with disabilities? How are they
using disability employee-resource groups to reach this community and their
supporters? Which companies are having the most success answering these
questions? The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities. To
calculate this list, we used questions asked in The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50
Companies for Diversity® survey about people with disabilities and
also studied their web sites for images and content supportive of people with
disabilities.
Here are some key
points about the DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With
Disabilities:
Here are the 2007
DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With
Disabilities: No. 1: Eastman
Kodak Also No. 43 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, No. 8 for Supplier Diversity, and No. 6 for GLBT Employees A longtime disability-supporting company, Kodak's work/life programs include Personal Absence and Family Leave and Confidential 24/7 LifeWorks Resource & Referral Service. Diversity training, including dealing with disabilities, is mandatory for the entire work force, compared with 58 percent of the Top 50. No. 2: Merrill Lynch Also No. 8 for GLBT Employees and one of
the 25 Noteworthy Companies in 2007 With an aggressive
Disability Awareness Professional Network, Merrill Lynch is very strong on
recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities. The company, which also
markets financial programs for people with disabilities and their relatives,
offers its employees onsite medical clinics, an onsite wellness program, a
health and productivity management program and an employee-assistance
program. No. 3:
PricewaterhouseCoopers Also No. 12 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50
Companies for Diversity list, No. 2 for GLBT Employees, and No. 4
for Asian
Americans All of its managers participate
in the mentoring program, which is particularly valuable to employees with
disabilities. This compares with a 31 percent average for the Top 50. The
accounting giant offers reimbursement for emergency backup care, reduced hours,
family sick days, and a work/life resource and referral service. No. 4: Marriott
International Also No. 46 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50
Companies for Diversity list The hospitality company, a longtime national diversity leader, has healthcare spending accounts, family-care spending accounts, and a leave-sharing donation program in which associates can apply for additional paid time off when their available leave has been exhausted due to illness or hardship. Marriott also offers mandatory diversity training for the entire work force, including disability awareness, compared with 30 percent of the Top 50. No. 5: Procter &
Gamble Also No. 14 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50
Companies for Diversity list, No. 9 for Recruitment &
Retention, and No. 9 for Asian
Americans A long-time workplace disability
leader, Procter & Gamble introduced one of the first sickness-disability
programs for its workers in 1915. These days, its People With Disabilities Task
Force is focused on accessibility in workplace accommodations, recruitment,
retention, training and partnerships with organizations, such as Career Opportunities for
Students With Disabilities (COSD). No. 6: SC Johnson Also No. 7 for GLBT
Employees The company, which has received
the Employer of the Year Award from The National
Business & Disability Council (NBDC) and Abilities, has mandatory diversity
training, including disability awareness, for its entire work force, compared
with 30 percent of the Top 50. No. 7: Wachovia Also No. 11 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list and No. 2 for African Americans The bank, a longtime diversity leader, recently named its first vice president for employment compliance and disability. The company offers programs including Time Away From Work, Lifeworks Family Resource Program and dependent care flexible-spending accounts. No. 8: JPMorgan Chase Also No. 9 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50
Companies for Diversity list, No. 9 for Latinos, No. 7 for Executive Women, No. 4
for GLBT Employees,
No. 4 for African Americans, and No. 6 for Recruitment &
Retention The bank has a strong employee focus group for people with disabilities, has a disability mentoring day, and partners with disability organizations to recruit new employees. No. 9: Ernst & Young Also No. 43 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top
50 Companies for Diversity list, No. 5 for GLBT Employees, and No. 2
for Asian
Americans One of only six companies to receive the first annual Disabilities Matters Award, the accounting giant also has a strong mentoring program, with all of its managers participating, compared with a Top 50 average of 31 percent. No. 10: Deloitte &
Touche Also No. 19 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top
50 Companies for Diversity list and No. 6 on the Top 10 for Executive
Women The company's work/life programs
include an emergency backup dependent-care program and dependent-care flexible
spending. Diversity training is mandatory for its entire work force,
compared with 30 percent of the Top 50. |