The 2021 Disability Equality Index (DEI) has rated Southern Company as one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” For the fifth consecutive year, Southern Company joins an elite group of companies with a 100 percent score on the DEI for a strong dedication to leading disability-inclusion practices.
Every year since the DEI’s inception in 2015, Southern Company has been listed among the top-ranked companies and each of the past five years has earned a score of 100 percent.
“Southern Company is honored to be recognized as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. This recognition is a testament to creating an inclusive culture where every employee can reach his or her full potential,” said Sloane Drake, senior vice president of Human Resources. “We believe diversity in all forms is one of our core strengths, and we are committed to advancing disability inclusion and equality across our businesses. Many of our employee resource groups, along with our recruiting organization and supplier diversity personnel engage with the disability community through programs, education and community service.”
The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AADP) and Disability:IN that measures policies and practices on a scale from zero to 100 with a score of 100 awarded only to those companies deemed most inclusive. As the nation’s most trusted and comprehensive benchmarking tool for disability inclusion, the DEI provides an objective assessment of overall business practices.
“We are so pleased to partner with 319 companies this year on the Disability Equality Index. 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,” said Jill Houghton, president and chief executive officer of Disability:IN. “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.”