United Airlines Earns Top Marks on Disability Equality Index

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Jul 09, 2018, 14:00 ET

CHICAGO, July 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Announced today, United Airlines (UAL) achieved the top score of 100 percent on the 2018 Disability Equality Index, a prominent benchmarking metric that rates U.S. companies on their disability inclusion policies and practices. This designation also earns United a place on DEI's 2018 "Best Places to Work" list.

The DEI is a dual initiative between the American Association of People with Disabilities and the US Business Leadership Network, jointly designed by disability advocates and business leaders as a highly trusted comprehensive benchmarking tool for disability inclusion. The Index measures key performance indicators across organizational culture, leadership, accessibility, employment, community engagement, support services and supplier diversity.

United hopes to build a more inclusive economy and world for all people through such actions as developing and employing anti-discrimination policies, implementing employee training focused on inclusion and creating and expanding Business Resource Groups across the U.S. and internationally for employees, which, beginning in the fall, will include a disability-focused Business Resource Group.

"United's leading diversity and inclusion initiatives represent the company's commitment to engaging with and advocating for people with disabilities," said Kate Gebo, Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations at United Airlines. "Across our company, we continuously evaluate ways to build a more inclusive workforce so that all people feel included in the United family."

Earlier this year, United also announced its partnership with Special Olympics, which has a strong history of bringing people together around the world. Both organizations share a common vision to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, United works closely with airports across all its hubs to host initiatives such as Wings for All, a program that enables young travelers on the autism spectrum to visit the airport and practice going through the full travel experience without ever leaving the ground.

United is one of 126 Fortune 1000 companies that received 100 percent on the 2018 DEI. This perfect score is partly due to advancements in United's e-commerce and digital accessibility, giving employees the option to voluntarily disclose disabilities on an internal human resources portal, and a robust supplier diversity program. United also collaborates with different divisions to develop training programming that trains employees on how to effectively work with diverse colleagues.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,600 flights a day to 357 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 757 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 551 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol "UAL".

SOURCE United Airlines