Estee Lauder receives top score on the Disability Equality Index and named to Disability:IN’s list of Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion

November 4, 2022 (press release) –

The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has received a top score on the Disability Equality Index ® and was named to Disability:IN’s list of Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.

The Disability Equality Index ® was launched in 2015 by two of the world’s foremost disability inclusion organizations, Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. Its rigorous annual evaluation process provides a uniquely comprehensive assessment of disability inclusion, and each participating company receives a score on a scale of 0 to 100 based on evaluation categories that include Culture and Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, and Employment Practices. ELC received a score of 80 and a designation as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for 2022, the first year that it has been evaluated.

“We are proud to receive this meaningful recognition and are deeply committed to continuing our work in inclusion and diversity to support a culture of belonging within our company and our communities. The strength of our company is rooted in the collective diversity of backgrounds and unique perspectives of our employees, and we look forward to taking further action to drive disability inclusion and ensure an accessible and equitable environment for all,” said Marilu Marshall, Senior Vice President, Executive Management and Global Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer.

Highlights of ELC’s ongoing disability inclusion-related work include: 

Culture and Leadership 

• Executive sponsorship and support for Kindred, ELC's North America Disability & Mental Health Employee Resource Group 
• The development of disability-assistive technology for virtual applications for consumers with visual impairments 

Enterprise-Wide Access 

• Comprehensive ADA compliance at all U.S. buildings and regular review processes to improve access
• Investments in inclusive technology designed to support neurodiversity and differences in vision and motor functioning
• Partnerships with accessibility support services for employees

Employment Practices 

• Short- and long-term disability benefit coverage
• Regular participation in career fairs organized to create opportunities for people with disabilities, and candidate development programs that support skill development and job placement• Benefits and resources that support employees who are hard of hearing, deaf, or deaf-blind, including vision care, hearing aid benefits, in-person captioning and full-time third-party interpreters 

Community Engagement 

• The development of a Disability-Inclusive Marketing Guide in partnership with the style accessibility nonprofit Open Style Lab 
• Active representation of people with disabilities in marketing materials, such as Clinique’s recent celebration of Marcela Maranon, the first Latina woman with a disability to climb Mount Kilimanjaro 
• ADA-compliant social media content, featuring both sound and subtitles 

Supplier Diversity 

• A focus on Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE Certified) and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (SDVBE Certified) in purchasing decisions

In fiscal year 2023, ELC plans to:

• Establish company-wide external hiring goals for people with disabilities 
• Create disability self-identification options within our human resources information system
• Include a written diversity and inclusion component in individual performance evaluations 
• Ensure our emergency preparedness policy is inclusive of individuals with disabilities 
• Improve our New Hire Orientation program to include disability inclusion training and information 
• Establish a disability accommodation policy 

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, 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.    

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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