Shepherd Center Again Recognized as a Disability Equality Index® Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion

Disability Equality Index® Score Logo

Shepherd Center has been named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN. Shepherd Center is a top scorer, having earned a score of 100 out of a possible 100 on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI), the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and Am Law 2001 to evaluate disability workplace inclusion.

“Shepherd Center was founded based on helping people and families begin again after spinal cord and brain injuries, multiple traumas, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain,” said Sarah Morrison, PT, MBA, MHA, CEO of Shepherd Center. “For many, that includes launching their career or returning to the workforce. While this recognition helps confirm that we’re staying true to our mission, our commitment and work will continue to remain an inclusive workplace for those with disabilities and celebrate the range of talents, needs, and perspectives of our team.”

It has long been part of Shepherd Center’s mission to advocate for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.

Among other initiatives, Shepherd Center shows our commitment to disability inclusion by:

• Monitoring local and federal legislation and upcoming issues that are expected to impact the disability community.
• Implementing recruitment and hiring practices that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
• Sponsoring an active organization-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Council.
• Growing efforts to increase accessibility in print and digital content and remediate any issues that could inhibit accessibility for people with disabilities.
• Creating and sharing content that celebrates inclusion and accessibility.

 In 2023, Shepherd Center is one of only a few hospitals to receive a score of 100. Out of 485 total corporations who utilized the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts 294 companies received a score of 100; 66 companies received a score of 90, and 45 companies received a score of 80.

"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," said Maria Town, president and CEO of AAPD.

The 2023 DEI measured:

·      Culture and leadership

·      Enterprise-wide access

·      Employment practices (benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention and advancement, and accommodations)

·      Community engagement

·      Supplier diversity

·      Non-U.S. operations (non-weighted)

In 2023, the DEI also included a new, non-weighted Community Engagement question that asked whether a company included an accessibility statement on their public-facing website.

Globally, people with disabilities represent over one billion people. Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and it crosses lines of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion.

 You can view the entire Disability Equality Index here.

 About the Disability Equality Index®

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 a “Best Place 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 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