UNFI Recognized as a Disability Equality Index® Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
Company earns a top score in the 2021 Disability Equality Index
Award follows earlier recognition as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality
The DEI was launched in 2015 by Disability:IN
This is the second workplace accolade UNFI has received in 2022. In January, the Company announced that it had been designated as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, earning a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
“UNFI celebrates all of our associates living with disabilities and those who are caregivers,” said
UNFI is working to advance inclusion in the workplace by fostering a culture of inclusion and empathy through open dialogue, effective associate training, and by honoring holidays and special events that speak to the identities of the Company’s associates. In the past year, UNFI took a variety of steps to advance this mission including:
- Launched the DREAM belonging and innovation group (BIG); a UNFI associate resource group for the disabled community and caregivers. DREAM (Disability Resources, Equity, Allyship, and Mentoring) advocates for UNFI associates, caregivers, and allies in all aspects of business, aiming to promote an environment where all may flourish without barriers;
- Collaborated with the UNFI supplier diversity team to increase spend with disabled-owned businesses;
- Created Real Talk, a series of virtual discussions focusing on the intersection of diversity, equity and inclusion with career, wellness, and leadership development; and
- Recently developed UCount, an initiative to encourage associates to share more about themselves, including their disability status.
“Disability inclusion is a rapidly expanding aspect of corporate culture, and it’s gratifying to partner with 415 companies on the 2022 Disability Equality Index,” said
Globally, individuals 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.
"There is no single best way to practice disability inclusion,” said
By taking the DEI, companies demonstrate stakeholder commitment to disability inclusion and equality, as well as broader social issues. The 2022 DEI measured: Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; and Non-
About
UNFI is
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
About the
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 400 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. Join us at disabilityin.org/AreYouIN #AreYouIN.
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