Company commitment to culture of inclusion recognized with highest ranking score in disability benchmark report

PROVIDENCE, RI (15 de julio de 2020) – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) has received a score of 100 percent on the 2020 Disability Equality Index^® (DEI). Administered by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN^®, the DEI is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to disability workplace equality.

“Receiving a top score on the Disability Equality Index is a testament to the success we’ve had with our diversity and inclusion initiatives, but our work is far from done," said Guillaume Bagal, BCBSRI diversity & inclusion lead. “There is always room for growth and improvement, and we look forward to furthering our efforts to promote diversity, inclusion and equity throughout the workplace and our community."

The award underscores BCBSRI’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, as evidenced by its robust programming and policies. BCBSRI received top marks in part for its:

• Employee business resource group (EBRG), Disability Inclusion Network, which promotes inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities and impairments.
• Community support for people living with disabilities, including grants and in-kind support to Special Olympics Rhode Island, Best Buddies Rhode Island and Meeting Street, as well as serving as a host site for Project SEARCH.
• Inclusion of personal assistance services in healthcare benefits.
• AA Level of Conformance to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 for the bcbsri.com website.

Designed as a comprehensive assessment tool, the 2020 DEI evaluated disability-related policies and practices in the areas of culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement, and supplier diversity. BCBSRI’s success in meeting all DEI criteria resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for Disability Equality. BCBSRI is one of two companies headquartered in Rhode Island to receive a top score of 100, and one of more than 200 corporations nationally that have utilized the DEI to evaluate their disability inclusion efforts.

More information on the 2020 Disability Equality Index and the full list of top scoring companies can be found at https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/. For more information about BCBSRI’s commitment to diversity and inclusion visit https://www.bcbsri.com/about/diversity.