Far from Done: A Journey to Become a Disability:IN and American Association of People with Disabilities “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion”
By Catherine Nichols
As the Senior Director of Accessibility Programs and Vice President of our Abilityforce Employee Resource Group at Salesforce, I’m honored to share we’ve received the top score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index (DEI®) and have been named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the second year in a row. However, we understand there is still more work to be done to create a fair, equitable and inclusive workplace for all. This extends to how we think about our products, events, and experiences, as we continue towards our goal to be the world's most accessible company and #1 ranked employer for people with disabilities. The unemployment rate for disabled individuals is twice that of the non-disabled population. With 1 in 4 people within the U.S. having a disability, it’s critical we close this gap.
This year, we are proud to have opened our Office of Accessibility and launched a partnership with the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) to support their Salesforce Administration Certification Prep Course by providing certification and recertification vouchers along with a grant to fund the salaries for on the job training. We’re also honored to have partnered with Disability:IN and other great companies to create the “Digital Accessibility and Other Best Practices for Remote Working" guide which helps ensure virtual meetings, events, and the resulting materials are accessible to everyone.
We all have an important role to play in making Salesforce a more accessible company, and I am incredibly grateful to so many of you who have helped bring us to where we are today, including leaders across product, real estate, equality, legal, customer support, and, of course, our incredible Abilityforce.
To be clear, a 100 does not mean we are done — we still have a lot to learn and strides to make. This score is actually where the real journey begins, one where the commitment is now stamped for all to see. As Francis of Assisi once said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” We are at the beginning of a long journey, one full of success, failure, and learning. We want to do better, and we are committed to working with our communities to move forward.
