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. Launched in 2015, the DEI is acknowledged as the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business.
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In this article:
- Brown and Caldwell (BC) earns a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index and has been named a 2023 Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.
- This score reflects a company-wide commitment to advancing accessibility the individuality and inclusion within our workplace and the industry —and a firm belief that a culture of inclusion drives innovation.
BC is recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by earning a top score on the 2023 Disability Equality Index® (DEI) for the third year in a row.
The DEI measures a wide range of criteria across six categories, from culture and leadership, to enterprise-wide accessibility and employment practices, to community engagement, to diversity among suppliers. In 2023, 485 corporations, including 71 Fortune 100, 207 Fortune 500, and 249 Fortune 1000 utilized the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts.
BC’s DEI score reflects a company-wide commitment to celebrating, accepting, and embracing the individuality and unique strengths of our employee owners. In the past year, BC launched an employee self-ID campaign to better understand our employees who self-identify as having a disability to shape the investment of company support and resources. The information from our employees formed the foundation for enABLE, BC’s newest Employee Network Group designed to collaborate and unite employees with the intent of fostering our culture of inclusion.
As a professional service company, we are continually helping clients to push the boundaries of what is possible. Sparking innovation through a team of diverse and authentic perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities is one way we achieve the future of water for our clients and communities. Our commitment to inclusive behavior drives extraordinary performance outcomes and creates empathy and meaningful connections across our workplace, project teams, clients, and the future of water.
“This recognition speaks to our progress continuing to advance awareness and inclusion for all abilities within our workplace and the water industry.”
Andrea Hall, BC Senior Director of Diversity & Inclusion
In 2021, BC began partnering with Disability:IN to advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities within the business community and our workplace. As part of this partnership, BC is committing to leveraging the DEI, which serves as a benchmarking tool that helps us set measurable actions to achieve disability inclusion and equality. The DEI takes about 40 hours to complete annually online. It is modeled off the Corporate Equality Index that highlights LGBTQ+-inclusive workplace policies.
“These top-scoring companies understand deeply that people with disabilities represent a tremendous source of talent and innovation for their workforce and market share for their brands, and they are trailblazers in our journey towards full disability inclusion in business.”
Maria Town, President and CEO of AAPD
This recognition for the third year in a row, is a testament to the access, momentum, and culture of inclusion BC is building within the water industry. While there is more work to do, the top DEI score of 100 reflects our commitment to being a part of positive change towards more inclusive water and environmental workplaces for engineers, scientists, consultants, and constructors.
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About the Disability Equality Index®
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 complementary 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. Learn more at: www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org.
About the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
AAPD is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power for people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 60+ million Americans with disabilities. Learn more at: www.aapd.com.
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 (DEI); best-in-class conferences and programs; expert counsel and engagement; and public policy leadership. Learn more at: disabilityin.org/AreYouIN.