RSM Scores 100 on Disability Equality Index’s 2022 “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion”

CHICAGO – (July 20, 2022) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – was recently named to the Disability Equality Index® (DEI), the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and American law firms to measure disability workplace inclusion against competitors.

The DEI was launched in 2015 by Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and is acknowledged today as the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business. Top-scoring businesses – those scoring 80 or higher – are recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” RSM scored 100 this year, 10 points above last year’s score of 90.

The DEI was created by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts and disability advocates. Now in its eighth year, the DEI exists to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment/underemployment of people with disabilities.

In 2022, 415 corporations, including many Fortune 100,  Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies, used the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts. The 2022 DEI measured: culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices (benefits, recruitment, community engagement, retention and advancement, accommodations), community engagement, supplier diversity, and non-U.S. operations. In 2022, the DEI included new leadership questions about the inclusion of disability in corporate board diversity criteria.

Globally, people with disabilities represent more than 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.  In 2022, out of 415 participants, 240 companies received a score of 100; 68 companies received a score of 90 and 27 companies received a score of 80. There were a total of 335 top scorers.

“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 Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN. “These top-scoring companies not only excel in disability inclusion, many are also adopting emerging trends and pioneering measures that can move the disability agenda from accommodation to inclusion and ultimately, genuine belonging."

"At RSM, our Abilities employee network group and the rest of our 14,000+ people in the U.S. and Canada, strive to create a workplace where all of our people, regardless of their abilities, feel included and welcome,” said Ayana Martinez, principal and national Abilities ENG leader with RSM US LLP. “We are humbled to receive DEI’s top score, and remain committed to fostering an inclusive workplace for all of our people.” 

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 (AAPD), 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