Delta Air Lines : named “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” third consecutive year (Article)

Since the tender age of four, Jeffrey Nakashima has been partially deaf. But his disability didn't hinder him from obtaining a position at Delta more than a decade ago.

[Attachment] 'I think it's wonderful that Delta does everything it can to provide opportunities for and accommodations to people with disabilities,' said Nakashima, Supervisor - Brand Advisor and Customer Experience (SLC) and president of ABLE, Delta's employee group representing the interests of disabled employees. 'In my 13 years with the company, I've witnessed Delta hire veterans with service dogs, provide employees who are blind with braille keyboards and allow others with mobility issues to use Segways for assistance.'

For the third year in a row, Delta has been named a 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion,' receiving a top score of 100 percent on the 2018 Disability Equality Index (DEI). The DEI, a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network, allows America's leading corporations to self-report (and be scored on) their disability inclusion policies and practices.

This year's DEI measured key performance indicators across several areas, including organizational culture, leadership, accessibility, employment, community engagement, support services and supplier diversity. With respect to their efforts in these areas, more than 140 companies were scored on a scale of 0 to 100. Those who received a DEI score of 80 and above were recognized as the nation's 'Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.'

Nakashima applauds Delta's commitment to advancing its disability inclusion practices as well as the airline's dedication to creating a work environment that's conducive to all.

'When I started at Delta, the accommodations for disabled employees were in the infancy stages,' said Nakashima. 'Now we have a great resource within Human Resources that provides disabled employees the assistance they need to do their jobs successfully. Services like this are invaluable to so many of us.'