Companies Recognized For Disability Inclusion Include 2 From Cherry Hill Area

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — TD Bank of Cherry Hill and American Water of Camden scored high marks for actively engaging persons with disability in their workforce and workplaces, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability: IN.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability: IN — two organizations whose websites indicated they work to include those who are disabled in the mainstream workforce as much as possible — annually score companies from 0 points to 100 points on a Disability Equality Index (DEI).

The DEI measures in how they do in providing individuals with disabilities access to areas such as company culture and leadership; enterprise-wide access; employment practices such as benefits, recruitment, employment, education, retention and advancement; accommodations; community engagement; and supplier diversity domestically and internationally, according to AAPD and Disability: IN.

The companies that score 80 points or higher, like TD Bank and American Water, are recognized as "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion," AAPD and Disability: IN said.

Companies that actively include individuals with disabilities in their operations will find multiple benefits from doing so, said John Pluhowski, chief communications officer at TD Bank.

"Studies have shown that there is a growing business case for expanding the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce, including increased productivity, profitability, workforce retention, customer loyalty and ability awareness," he told Patch.

Besides the recognition that TD Bank and American Water earned, the entire state of New Jersey ranks among the top states in the nation for disability inclusion and equality, according to Pluhowski.

TD Bank financially supports AAPD's and Disability: IN's overall efforts, a press release said.

Efforts to compile the 2023 DEI scores are already underway, AAPD and Disability: IN said. More information on how companies can be scored on the index is available by clicking this link.

Got a news tip? Story idea? Send me an email with the details at janel.miller@patch.com.