CARY,
N.C., July 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For the
third consecutive year, SAS has received a top score of 100 in the
Disability Equality Index®. The index is considered the
world's most comprehensive benchmarking tool for Fortune 1000 scope
companies to measure disability workplace inclusion inside their
organization and to assess performance across industry sectors. SAS
earned a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion distinction
for its disability inclusion initiatives that are featured in the
survey, including culture, leadership and employment practices.
For the third consecutive year, SAS has
received a top score of 100 in the Disability Equality
Index®.
The Disability Equality Index, a joint initiative of
Disability:IN and The American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD), is acknowledged as the most robust disability
inclusion assessment tool in business. This year's survey included
questions about:
- Culture and leadership.
- Enterprise-wide access.
- Employment practices (including benefits, recruitment,
employment, education, retention and advancement and
accommodations).
- Community engagement.
- Supplier diversity.
- Responsible procurement.
"SAS is committed to providing all employees an equitable work
environment that allows them to achieve their full potential, which
in turn helps our company become stronger and more innovative,"
said Danielle Pavliv, SAS Chief
Diversity Officer. "We believe that there is always more work to be
done to enhance inclusivity and accessibility. Over the last few
years, we have been even more intentional in our global disability
inclusion and digital accessibility efforts, which resulted in an
increase in disability self-identification in the US by over 250%
since 2021."
SAS believes that all employees have a responsibility to create
environments that enable everyone to do their jobs without
barriers. Through strengthening cross-functional partnerships, SAS
has worked diligently to enhance its focus on accessibility and
disability inclusion.
In 2024, 542 corporations, including 71 Fortune 100 and 220
Fortune 500 companies, utilized the Disability Equality Index to
benchmark their disability inclusion efforts.
"On the 10th anniversary of the Disability Equality Index, we're
extremely proud of the 542 national and international companies
that are taking a proactive role in leading progress towards
disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for others to follow,"
Jill Houghton, President and CEO of
Disability:IN. "Their dedication to fostering inclusive workplaces
not only attracts top talent but also drives innovation and creates
sustainable performance in today's global market. Together, we are
creating a future where everyone can contribute and thrive."
SAS CEO Jim Goodnight also signed
the Disability:IN CEO Letter on Disability
Inclusion, highlighting a commitment to ensure people with
disabilities are represented at all levels of a company and
encouraging other CEOs to join the pledge.
SAS continues to be recognized as a top place to work for
job starters, parents and women. The data and AI leader has also
been awarded for its innovative technology. Recently, SAS was
recognized in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards for an AI
project that protects endangered sea turtles. SAS is also a top
scorer on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality
Index.
Learn more about SAS' commitment to diversity, equity and
inclusion.
About the Disability Equality Index®
The Disability Equality Index has become the leading independent,
third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of corporate
disability inclusion policies and programs, and is now trusted by
more than 70% of the United States Fortune 100 and nearly half of
the Fortune 500. Such companies must increasingly consider how
emerging global reporting directives and stakeholder expectations
surrounding social and corporate governance factors impact their
operational, cultural, reputational and financial performance.
The Disability Equality Index is an objective, reflective,
forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed
to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. It is a
comprehensive benchmark that helps companies build a roadmap of
measurable, tangible actions across five scored categories: Culture
& Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices,
Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity. Participating
companies receive a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with
those scoring 80 or higher earning the distinction of "Best Places
to Work for Disability Inclusion" for the benchmark year.
Findings from a two-year Global Disability Equality Index pilot
informed the launch of a scored benchmark that opened in 2024 to
seven new countries in addition to the
United States. These include: Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan,
the Philippines, and the
United Kingdom. Now in its 10th
year, the Disability Equality Index has grown nearly 7x since 2015,
expanding from 80 companies in its first year to 542 in 2024.
Collectively, the 2024 edition received 753 submissions spanning
the eight benchmarked countries.
About SAS
SAS is a global leader in data and AI. With
SAS software and industry-specific solutions, organizations
transform data into trusted decisions. SAS gives you THE POWER TO
KNOW®.
SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names
are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in
the USA and other countries. ®
indicates USA registration. Other
brand and product names are trademarks of their respective
companies. Copyright © 2024 SAS Institute Inc. All rights
reserved.
Editorial Contact:
Kara Roberts
Kara.Roberts@sas.com
919-531-5449
sas.com/news
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SOURCE SAS