[Jobs] The Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

[PETER ALTSCHUL]

The Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

By the Editors of DiversityInc © 2006 DiversityInc.com® June 09, 2006

The companies on this Top 10 list demonstrate a nurturing, respectful 
corporate environment where all employees can reach their potential. To 
ascertain this list, we looked at recruitment and marketing programs aimed 
at people with disabilities, employee-resource groups, diversity training 
and we examined the Web sites of the company's to see if they mentioned and 
featured images of people with disabilities. We also consulted with leading 
national disability organizations.

Consider these statistics:

The Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities have at least two 
percentage points' higher average retention rates across all 
races/ethnicities/gender than the Top 50. All these Top 10 have active 
programs to recruit for people with disabilities, compared with 78 percent 
of the Top 50 and 48 percent of the bottom quarter of entrants. There were 
256 participants in this year's ranking. All these Top 10 also have active 
programs to recruit for GLBT employees, compared with 60 percent of the Top 
50 and 21 percent of the bottom quarter of entrants. All these Top 10 have 
employee-resource groups, compared with 94 percent of the Top 50 and 80 
percent of the bottom quarter of respondents. At all these companies, the 
company funds the groups and allows them to meet during the workday, a 
senior executive is a member of each group, and the groups are used to 
augment recruiting and marketing efforts to diverse communities. This is a 
significantly higher percentage for each of those
questions than the Top 50 and the bottom quarter of respondents. Diversity 
training is mandatory for the entire work force at each of this Top 10, 
compared with 60 percent of the Top 50 and 41.7 percent of the bottom 
quarter of respondents. CEO commitment to diversity is clear at these 
companies. In all, heads of diversity are direct reports or one direct 
report removed from CEO, compared with 92 percent of Top 50 and 80 percent 
of bottom quarter of respondents. The corporate-vision statement 
incorporates diversity at all these Top 10 compared with 90 percent of the 
Top 50 and 81.6 percent of the bottom quarter of respondents. Forty-two 
percent of managers who received promotions in this Top 10 were women, 
compared with a Top 50 average of 36 percent. Eighty percent of these Top 10 
have onsite childcare, compared with 52 percent of the Top 50, 28 percent of 
the bottom quarter of respondents and just 6 percent of companies nationwide 
(national statistic from Society of Human
Resources Management). Here are the Top 10 Companies for People With 
Disabilities:

No. 1: Merrill Lynch

Also No. 44 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, 
No. 4 on the Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans

A long-time national leader in reaching this community, Merrill Lynch's Web 
site specifically reaches out to customers with disabilities and includes a 
Children With Disabilities Program, a Disability Awareness Professional 
Network, a special-needs calculator and a supplier-diversity effort aimed at 
people with disabilities.

No. 2: Cingular Wireless

Also No. 15 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, 
No. 1 on the Top 10 Companies for Latinos, No. 9 on the Top 10 Companies for 
Executive Women, No. 9 on the Top 10 Companies for GLBT Employees

With an affinity group for people with disabilities, this company also makes 
strong note on its Web site of its disability resources for customers, 
including products, and has a National Center for Customers With 
Disabilities.

No. 3: SSM Healthcare

As befitting a health-care company, SSM's CEO's message on its Web site 
advocates its strong commitment to people with disabilities. Its 
supplier-diversity program also has a strong component for people with 
disabilities.

No. 4: Merck & Co. Also No. 34 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for 
Diversity list, No. 8 on the Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans

The pharmaceutical giant has a unique accessibility statement stating its 
commitment to people with disabilities, a strong supplier-diversity program 
for people with disabilities and a demonstrated work-force commitment to 
this community.

No. 5: Eastman Kodak Also on the 2006 25 Noteworthy Companies list Kodak has 
strong relationships with national disability organizations, an employee 
group for this community, and images of people with visible disabilities on 
its Web site.

No. 6: Sodexho USA Also No. 14 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for 
Diversity list, No. 7 on the Top 10 Companies for Executive Women

The company has partnerships with businesses owned by people with 
disabilities and many images of people with disabilities on its Web site.

No. 7: Citigroup No. 27 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for 
Diversity list, No. 2 on the Top 10 Companies for Latinos, No. 9 on the Top 
10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention

The banking giant has a strong supplier-diversity program for people with 
disabilities, mentions this community in its diversity mission statement, 
has an ATM locator with a special-services option for people with 
disabilities and very actively recruits within this group.

No. 8: KPMG Also on the 2006 25 Noteworthy Companies list

The company has a good recruitment program for people with disabilities and 
has numerous mentions of this community on its Web site.

No. 9: Toyota NA No. 29 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for 
Diversity list The company has many photos and resources demonstrating its 
offerings for people with disabilities

No. 10: SC Johnson No. 46 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for 
Diversity list With strong imagery of people with disabilities on its Web 
site, the company also has received national recognition for its efforts 
with this community.