We are pleased to announce that Nielsen has been noted as one of the 2016 Best Places to Work by the Disability Equality Index® (DEI) for Disability Inclusion. The DEI® offers businesses an opportunity to receive a score from zero to 100 on their disability inclusion policies and practices. Nielsen proudly scored a 90%.
The survey is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) that gives companies the opportunity to reevaluate policies and practices and determine where they stand among other organizations for disability inclusion practices. Eighty-three Fortune 1000-size companies completed the DEI, with 23 business segments represented.
At Nielsen, we recognize the importance of diversity & inclusion for our growth, strength and ability to innovate. The company’s ADEPT (Abled and Disabled Employees Partnering Together) employee resource group (leadership photo above) is inspired by people with disabilities and serves as a forum for Nielsen employees who are disabled, care for family members with disabilities or champion causes within the disabled community.
“Our score on the Disability Equality Index and work with the USBLN marks an important shift for disability inclusion at Nielsen,” said Megan Belden, manager, client service, and ADEPT employee resource group co-lead. “As ADEPT leaders, we saw the need to find a professional affiliation that could help us learn how we could recruit and retain top talent with disabilities in order to better represent the markets we serve. Partnering with USBLN has helped us craft a strategy that leverages disability inclusion in our workplace, supply chain, and for our clients in order to drive stronger business impact.”
“Through initiatives and programs around mentoring, recruiting top talent with disabilities, certification for disability-owned businesses, and the Disability Equality Index, the USBLN helps us hold ourselves accountable to that strategy. I’m so proud that we have scored in the top for the Disability Equality Index. This achievement should be celebrated and is a testament to our efforts in creating a more inclusive culture, enabling everyone to ‘be yourself’ at Nielsen,” Belden concluded.
“We are proud to see the year-over-year growth, improvement and results from participating companies,” said Jill Houghton, executive director of USBLN. “The DEI provides a roadmap for advancing disability inclusion by enabling companies to see both strengths and areas of opportunity that exist across their organization, as well as a means to benchmark against their competitors and businesses as a whole. This is only the beginning of what’s to come as companies continue to embrace the DEI and work hard to take their disability inclusion policies and practices to the next level.”
