Eight New Jersey companies were among the nearly 200 that received a 100% score from the Disability Equality Index that was released Thursday by Disability:IN, a leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide.
The following companies received the highest mark:
- American Water (Camden)
- Bayer (Whippany)
- Dun & Bradstreet (Short Hills)
- Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick)
- Merck (Kenilworth)
- Nestle Health Science (Bridgewater)
- Prudential (Newark)
- TD Bank (Cherry Hill)
Dozens of companies that have a strong presence in New Jersey but are based in other states also made the list but are not listed above.
To see the complete list, click here.
Created seven years ago, the DEI guides businesses to impact the unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities.
This year, the DEI evaluated inclusion criteria for culture and leadership, community engagement, supplier diversity, enterprise-wide access, and employment practices, such as benefits, employment, education and accommodations. Following the global pandemic, the DEI added additional criteria including innovative technology to advance digital and remote accessibility, mental wellness benefits, services for Deaf and hard of hearing employees, and flexible work options.
RELATED: Last month, ROI-NJ honored the individuals at companies that are doing the most for DEI programs.
Disability: In CEO Jill Hougton said the business world is recognizing the need for diversity and inclusion.
“Part of corporate commitment to disability inclusion is recognizing your stance and using it as an ‘aha moment’ to drive the business investments needed to scale change,” she said. “Inclusion and accessibility cuts across the enterprise, from cultural representation in the workforce, to technology acceleration, to incorporating supply chain diversity. These are tangible opportunities that leading companies can leverage to create sustainable impact for their business and brand.”
In 2021, 319 corporations, including 67 Fortune 100, 164 Fortune 500, and 180 Fortune 1000 utilized the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts. Companies scoring an 80% or higher were recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
Disability: In officials say a score of 100% is not a “perfect” score but an indication that a company is doing all that it can.
Here are the N.J. companies that scored 90%:
- ADP
- BD
- Quest
- Teva
- Withum
