Ameren earns a top score of 100 on the
Disability Equality Index for its efforts to drive change in
disability inclusion across business operations
ST.
LOUIS, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren
Corporation (NYSE: AEE) has once again received recognition as a
"Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion," earning a top score
of 100 from the Disability Equality Index. The index
serves as the world's most comprehensive benchmarking tool for
Fortune 1000 companies to measure disability inclusion inside their
organization and to assess performance across industry
sectors.
"Completing the Disability Equality Index each year gives us the
opportunity to reassess how we can best support our co-workers and
customers with disabilities, and it's rewarding to see our efforts
continue to be recognized," said Gwen
Mizell, senior vice president and chief sustainability,
diversity and philanthropy officer at Ameren. "We would not be able
to fulfill our mission to power the quality of life without
celebrating our employees' unique individuality and enabling their
career growth at Ameren."
Ameren's commitment to disability inclusion and equality
includes the company's ongoing partnership with Starkloff
Disability Institute and many of their programs, including the
Dream Big Career Camp that strives to empower college and technical
school-bound youth with disabilities to dream big about their
future. An employee resource group, Powering Connections for All
Abilities (PCAA), also champions disability inclusion and education
at Ameren.
"PCAA provides a space for employees with disabilities and their
allies to collaborate, advise Ameren on accommodations, and educate
fellow employees and those within the communities we serve about
people with disabilities," said Lori
Wilson, field operations scheduling specialist for
Ameren Illinois and president of PCAA. "It's just one example of
how Ameren is supporting our diverse workforce and fostering an
inclusive environment for people from all backgrounds."
The Disability Equality Index was launched in 2015 in
the United States as a joint
initiative of Disability:IN and The American Association of People
with Disabilities (AAPD) and is acknowledged today as the most
robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business. The 2024
Disability Equality Index measured disability inclusion using
various benchmarks, including employment practices such as
recruitment and employment, community engagement, supplier
diversity and responsible procurement.
In 2024, 542 corporations, including 71 Fortune 100 companies
and 220 Fortune 500 companies, utilized the Disability Equality
Index to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts. The index
ranks companies on a scale of zero to 100, with top-scoring
businesses earning a score of 80 or higher and receiving
recognition as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion."
Ameren has earned this distinction for the last 10 years—since the
award program was first launched.
"We're extremely proud of the national and international
companies that are taking a proactive role in leading progress
towards disability inclusion, setting a benchmark for others to
follow," said Jill Houghton,
president and CEO of Disability:IN. "Their dedication to fostering
inclusive workplaces not only attracts top talent but also drives
innovation and creates sustainable performance in today's global
market. Together, we are creating a future where everyone can
contribute and thrive."
About the Disability Equality Index®
The Disability Equality Index has become the leading
independent, third-party resource for the annual benchmarking of
corporate disability inclusion policies and programs, and is now
trusted by more than 70% of the United States Fortune 100 and
nearly half of the Fortune 500. Such companies must increasingly
consider how emerging global reporting directives and stakeholder
expectations surrounding social and corporate governance factors
impact their operational, cultural, reputational and financial
performance.
The Disability Equality Index is an objective, reflective,
forward-thinking, and confidential disability rating tool designed
to assist business in advancing inclusion practices. It is a
comprehensive benchmark that helps companies build a roadmap of
measurable, tangible actions across five scored categories: Culture
& Leadership, Enterprise-Wide Access, Employment Practices,
Community Engagement, and Supplier Diversity. Participating
companies receive a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with
those scoring 80 or higher earning the distinction of "Best Places
to Work for Disability Inclusion" for the benchmark year.
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation
powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and
more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile
area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated
utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric
transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution
service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission
and distribution service, as well as natural gas distribution
service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates
rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the
Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For
more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on X
@AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or
LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.
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SOURCE Ameren Corporation