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07/17/2019

Top Score: American Airlines Named Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion

FORT WORTH, Texas — The Disability Equality Index (DEI) named American Airlines among its Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion with a top score of 100 for the fourth year in a row. The index, a joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), used several disability inclusion metrics in evaluating policies and practices.

“Receiving this important distinction is an example of what we do as a company: Caring for people on life’s journey,” said Suzanne Boda, American’s Senior Vice President of Los Angeles, Executive Sponsor of the Disabilities Task Force and Board Member of AAPD. “It’s about how we interact with one another on a daily basis, how our team members feel about coming to work and how our customers feel in our care. Every day, we strive to ensure that our team members and customers feel welcome, safe and confident in the trust they place in us.”

The top score from DEI reflects American’s commitment to inclusion in categories that include culture and leadership, enterprisewide access, employment practices (benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention and advancement, and accommodations), community engagement, and supplier diversity. In each category, the airline was able to demonstrate multiple instances of leadership in ensuring a diverse and equitable workplace.

“Disability:IN applauds American Airlines for taking the Disability Equality Index once again and for earning a top score,” said Jill Houghton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Disability:IN. “Creating a disability inclusive work environment is a journey, and we are proud American commits to using the DEI as their roadmap for inclusion.”

The 2019 DEI Report dives deeper into the insights of the 2019 DEI results and can be accessed at disabilityin.org/deireport2019.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines offers customers 6,800 daily flights to more than 365 destinations in 61 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. With a shared purpose of caring for people on life’s journey, American’s 130,000 global team members serve more than 200 million customers annually. Since 2013, American has invested more than $28 billion in its product and people and now flies the youngest fleet among U.S. network carriers, equipped with industry-leading high-speed Wi-Fi, lie-flat seats, and more inflight entertainment and access to power. American also has enhanced food and beverage options in the air and on the ground in its world-class Admirals Club and Flagship lounges. American was recently named a Five Star Global Airline by the Airline Passenger Experience Association and Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. American is a founding member of oneworld®, whose members serve 1,100 destinations in 180 countries and territories. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

About the Disability Equality Index (DEI)
The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN. Developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates, the DEI is a national, transparent, annual benchmarking tool that offers businesses an opportunity to receive an objective score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, on their disability inclusion policies and practices.

The DEI is an aspirational, educational, recognition tool that is intended to help companies identify opportunities for continued improvement and help build a company’s reputation as an employer of choice.

The Disability Equality Index (DEI) brings together AAPD, the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the leading national business-to-business network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complimentary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporate America and the disability community.

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 50+ million Americans with disabilities. Learn more at: www.aapd.com.

About Disability:IN
Disability:IN, formerly known as the US Business Leadership Network, is the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Partnering with more than 180 corporations, Disability:IN expands opportunities for people with disabilities across enterprises. The organization and 50 affiliates raise a collective voice of positive change for people with disabilities in business. Through its programs and services, Disability:IN empowers businesses to achieve disability inclusion and equality, with the goal of advancing inclusion to the point when the organization is no longer necessary. Learn more at: www.disabilityin.org.

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