Meijer Recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion

Retailer honored among 155 other companies at the Disability:IN annual conference

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Jul 18, 2019, 15:00 ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Meijer was named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion, which means it's recognized as a company that champions a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities and continues to improve its policies and practices in the space.

The achievement comes from the 2019 Disability Equality Index (DEI), which is a unique, joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). It measures key performance indicators across organizational culture, leadership, accessibility, employment, community engagement, support services and supplier diversity.

This year's recognition is made even more rewarding due to the significant work conducted by the Meijer Disability Awareness & Advocacy Group (mDAAG), a Meijer team member resource group, Meijer Diversity & Inclusion Vice President Timothy Williams said.

"We're incredibly proud of the progress we've made over the years to help Meijer team members not only find career opportunities within our company but also help them thrive," said Timothy Williams, Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion. "We're leveraging the experiences of our mDAAG team members to have an impact on our business from both a team member and customer perspective."

The mission of mDAAG is to advance the company's commitment to respecting and valuing diversity and inclusion by serving as a resource and liaison for all team members on issues of equality. Williams said the dialogue from the team member resource group has also led to the business leveraging the group to help identify business solutions.

"We've created an environment where these individuals feel like they can come to work and show their full selves, they can be authentic," he said.

This is the third year Meijer has participated in the DEI study.

"The DEI is designed to promote and advance disability inclusion practices and policies within corporate America that lead to better employment outcomes for and inclusion of people with disabilities, as employees, customers and suppliers. When businesses include people with disabilities, everybody wins," said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.

About Meijer: Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates more than 245 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the "one-stop shopping" concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, pet departments, garden centers, toys and electronics. For additional information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.