Getting a job is a critical step in achieving financial independence. For people with disabilities, finding work can be difficult as they may face barriers such as discriminatory hiring practices and inaccessible physical workspaces. Here are examples of companies that hire people with disabilities, have inclusive programs for talent identification and development, and are creating communities focused on promoting accessibility.
Companies that employ people with disabilities
Novo Nordisk Direct PepsiCo CVS Health AT&T United Health Group GSK
Companies that employ people with disabilities
PNC Financial Services Group’s banking solutions include checking accounts, savings accounts, student loan refinancing, business loans, and other services for consumer and business clients. The disability employee business resource group, known as PNC Enable, aims to promote “an environment of understanding on behalf of people affected by any disability.” Other inclusion efforts include creating an accessibility officer position to ensure disability inclusion spans all levels at PNC, as well as participating in various initiatives as part of National Disability Awareness Month.
Block provides fintech solutions through global brands such as Square, Cash App, Spiral, Tidal, and TBD. The company states that “celebrating diversity and operating fairly and equally” is the cornerstone of its efforts to foster an inclusive work environment. Block aims to hire team members with disabilities and support them through employee resource groups and other initiatives. The company has 14 ERGs with chapters in its offices around the world, including an employee-led group focused on promoting inclusion for neurodiverse people.
Discover offers consumers credit cards, online banking services, mortgages, and other financial products. The company has repeatedly earned a 100% rating on the Disability Equality Index in recognition of its commitment to disability inclusion in the workplace. Discover’s nine employee resource groups include Strive for Disability Empowerment, which provides resources and support to team members with disabilities and advocates in the disability community.
Optimum provides internet, mobile and television services to approximately 5 million customers across the U.S. The company has been repeatedly named to the “Best Places to Work for People with Disabilities” list, created in partnership with Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. Optimum seeks to demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion through initiatives such as developing affinity groups, which include a group of employees dedicated to cultivating a workplace community for people with disabilities.
Pfizer is a biopharmaceutical company focused on researching and developing vaccines and treatments to address various types of cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, and other medical conditions. Pfizer’s online disability and neurodiversity hub explains how the company actively works to create a “uniquely diverse workforce with high disability and neurodiversity representation.” For example, the company provides assistive technology such as dictation software, accessible buildings, mentorship opportunities, and remote work arrangements.
Aerospace Corporation brings together experts from a variety of fields to develop and research space-related technologies. The company’s Aerospace Diversity Action Committee is made up of managers and representatives from Aerospace Corporation’s employee resource groups and submits workplace inclusion recommendations to the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and Executive Diversity Council. The committee also includes members of the Aerospace Totally Adaptive Group, an employee resource group that focuses on disability inclusion.
Northwestern Mutual specializes in insurance and financial planning solutions, connecting clients with advisors and other resources to help them build a financially secure future. The company is committed to “building an inspiring, inclusive culture where everyone can do their best at work,” and that commitment is reflected in the company’s Employee Resource Groups. More than 2,000 Northwestern Mutual employees participate in ERGs, including the disABILITY Alliance.
Liberty Mutual is an international insurance company that employs approximately 45,000 professionals across its operations. The company aims to create a “diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace,” and its Able@Liberty + Allies employee resource group is focused on fostering a workplace culture that supports people with disabilities, as well as their families and caregivers. The group brings team members together to drive awareness and contribute, for example, to efforts to make Liberty Mutual’s digital assets more accessible, as well as identifying opportunities to improve accessibility in the physical workplace.
Spectrum provides internet, television, mobile, and home phone services to millions of customers. As part of its inclusive efforts, Spectrum has several business resource groups for employee networking and development, including Spectrum Disability, which brings team members together to promote important workplace accommodations. Spectrum has also established a team dedicated to improving the accessibility of its products and services with the goal of providing an equitable experience for both customers and employees.
Novo Nordisk is an international company focused on the treatment, prevention and access to care for chronic diseases. The company has been in business for more than a century, with thousands of employees across multiple international locations innovating medicines and therapies to address type 1 and type 2 diabetes, growth hormone-related disorders, cardiovascular disease and other disease areas. Novo Nordisk employees, including people with disabilities, have access to the AllAbility employee resource group, which aims to promote awareness and education about disabilities and foster an “authentic, open and honest environment” for community building.
First Hand, a health tech company, provides support and care for people with mental illness. Offering both digital and in-person support through a network of guides and resources, First Hand is committed to community care and providing health services to underserved populations. The company employs team members with both physical and mental health disabilities. In fact, a significant portion of the company’s employees have experience with serious mental illness and substance use disorders.
PepsiCo is a multinational food and beverage company that oversees the manufacturing, production and distribution of many iconic food brands, including the Pepsi family of products, as well as Quaker Oats, Tropicana and Gatorade. In its commitment to promoting accessibility, inclusion and equity for people with disabilities, the company has partnered with Disability Solutions to provide disability inclusion training to managers and to increase hiring and retention of people with disabilities.
CVS Health is a retailer of prescription and over-the-counter medications, health, wellness, beauty and personal care products. The company operates through a network of approximately 10,000 physical and digital stores. CVS Health employees have access to the CapAbilities Colleague Resource Group, which provides coaching and networking services to employees with disabilities to help them thrive in the workplace.
AT&T provides wireless communications, data and internet, phone, and managed network services to organizations. AT&T employs more than 160,000 employees, of which more than 7,000 identify as disabled, and has a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The company maintains multiple partnerships with employee resource groups to support employees with disabilities.
UnitedHealth Group is a healthcare and wellness organization that provides services through two companies: UnitedHealthcare, which offers comprehensive health benefits, and Optum, which uses technology and data to provide optimized healthcare options to customers. According to UnitedHealth Group, disability inclusion is a priority across the organization. For example, United operates a disability inclusion internship program to attract top talent with skills training, flexible schedule options, competitive pay, and a pathway to full-time employment.
GSK is a biopharmaceutical company that produces vaccines and medicines for global markets. The company’s origins date back to 1715, when it began as a pharmacy in London. Today, it employs approximately 70,000 people. As part of its DEIB efforts, GSK has established an internal Disability Employment Confidence Network (an employee resource group committed to disability employment and workplace accessibility) and a Global Disability Council. The company is also part of the Valuable 500, a network of global companies with a common purpose: to advance disability employment through business.