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2018-07-12news-articleNews<p>For second year in row Spaulding honored as a "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion"</p>

Spaulding Rehabilitation Recognized as a Top Scoring Company in the 2018 Disability Equality Index

news-article
July 12,  2018

For second year in row Spaulding honored as a "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion"

Washington, D.C. – Disability: IN formerly the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) today released the 2018 Disability Equality Index (DEI) – the fourth year measured by the Index. Among the 126 employers recognized was the Boston based Spaulding Rehabilitation which earned the highest score possible of 100 on the index. Fortune 1000 and Am Law 100 companies across twenty-five unique business sectors participated in the 2018 DEI, with results indicating where companies are excelling in their commitment to inclusive environmental, social, and governance policies. Companies received their recognitions at the USBLN 20 annual conference in Las Vegas.

"To achieve a perfect score in the 2018 Disability Index is truly a proud achievement for all of us at Spaulding.  This is a testament to the commitment from our entire workforce to embrace that inclusion should be part of everything we do. Work is empowering for all of us and whether you live with a disability or are re-entering the workforce as a returning veteran, you deserve an equal opportunity.  We are so proud to be among the companies at the forefront who understand inclusion is more than the right thing to do; it’s good business," said David Storto, President, Spaulding Rehabilitation.

The companies participating in the 2018 DEI have a total global workforce of approximately 7.8 million workers. In its fourth year, the DEI has experienced nearly a 32% increase in year-over-year participation, signaling disability inclusion is on the rise across industries. 70% of businesses participating in the 2017 DEI chose to also participate in 2018, utilizing the tool as multi-year benchmarking roadmap.

"AAPD is thrilled to see increased participation in this year’s DEI. The commitment to disability inclusion is becoming a priority for more and more corporations," said Helena Berger, President and CEO of AAPD. "While we have made great strides since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the number of disabled individuals getting hired has not significantly increased. The DEI was created to help advance employment opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities."

"We applaud those companies that choose to take the DEI year after year and truly commit to advancing disability inclusion," said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability: IN. "Although we are far from true inclusion of people with disabilities across the enterprise, the DEI signals corporate America is recognizing inclusion as a competitive edge and beneficial for all."

The recognition of being a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" is reserved for those companies that have scored 80 or above on the DEI. The full company list can be accessed here: https://disabilityequalityindex.org/top_companies For the full news release from the USBLN click here.

Upon accepting the recognition at the USBNLN 20 Conference, Oz Mondejar, Senior Vice President of Mission and Advocacy at Spaulding Rehabilitation commented, "To receive this national honor from Disability: IN and AAPD is incredibly rewarding for all of us at Spaulding. This recognition validates our goal to be a leader on workforce development and inclusion and will energize us to push even further beyond compliance by creating new approaches and opportunities."

About Spaulding Rehabilitation

A member of Partners HealthCare, Spaulding Rehabilitation includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, its main campus in Charlestown as well as Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge and Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton, as well as twenty-five outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. In 2017, U.S. News & World Report named Spaulding as the #4 rehabilitation hospital in the nation. Spaulding is one of the few hospitals in the U.S. to be awarded the prestigious Model Systems designation in all three areas of care—Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Burn Injury—selected by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, Spaulding has been recognized by Doximity Residency Navigator as the #1 residency program in rehabilitation in the nation and the #1 residency program for research output. Spaulding also was recognized by the 2018 Disability Equality Index as a “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion”. For more information, please visit www.spauldingrehab.org.