23andMe Provides Equity and Inclusion for People with Disabilities



23andMe’s CEO and Co-Founder, Anne Wojcicki, signed a letter, along with dozens of CEOs, making a commitment toward advancing equity and inclusion for employees and customers with disabilities.

The move deepened 23andMe’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through participating in the Diversity Equality Index. The index offers a way to gauge the company’s policies and practices for employees and customers with disabilities in the coming years.

Administered by the non-profit group, American Association of People with Disabilities and the index will offer the company – and those outside the company – a benchmark assessment for measures of inclusivity for those with disabilities. It will allow 23andMe to better see how inclusive 23andMe’s products and working environment are for people with disabilities. The benchmarking will begin next year.

As a company that prides itself in celebrating the shared humanity of all people, diversity, equity and inclusion are at 23andMe’s core. People who feel empowered be their authentic selves make better employees and bring broader perspectives to the work they do. That, in turn, helps the kinds of products 23andMe makes and ensures that what they do serves all their customers, no matter their ability.

While 23andMe has made diversity, inclusion, and equity a priority, using the index in the coming years will allow 23andMe to deepen that commitment and it will offer ways of measuring their success and identifying areas for improvement.

The Disability Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as the “Best Places to Work for Disabled Inclusion.”

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) describes itself as a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 60 million Americans with disabilities by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation.

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