Estée Lauder Companies Awarded Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion

For the second year in a row, the Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has received a top score on the Disability Equality Index and was named to Disability:IN’s list, “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

 

Lamia Drew, director, inclusive technology lead, joined panelists from Google, Salesforce and Discover for a conversation on authentic representation of people with disabilities. At the conference expo, ELC showcased its Voice-Enabled Makeup Assistant (VMA), an app that supports blind and visually impaired consumers with applying makeup.

 

“We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to fostering disability inclusion at all levels of our organization,” said Lamia. “Embracing the diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives of our exceptional employees allows us to thrive as an organization. We extend our gratitude to all employees who contribute to shaping a brighter future, where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. Moving forward, we eagerly embrace the opportunity to champion disability inclusion even more decisively, creating an accessible, equitable, and empowering environment for all individuals in our workplace and communities.”

The Disability Equality Index was launched in 2015 by two of the world’s foremost disability inclusion organizations, Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. It is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions toward disability inclusion and equality.   

 

The Disability Equality Index measures a wide range of criteria within six categories—culture & leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement and supplier diversity. Each company receives a score on a scale of 0 to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

 

ELC received a score of 90 this year, 10 points higher than in 2022 under employment, education, retention & advancement. The Accessible Beauty Taskforce, a cross-functional employee collective that works to advance the company’s disability inclusion practices and enterprise-wide access, received the award on July 11 at the Disability:IN 2023 Conference. The conference was an opportunity for industry leaders to discuss best inclusion practices, current challenges, and the future of accessibility across industries.