GHD US operations named as a 2023 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by Disability:IN

Brynn Einecker, GHD Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group Chair (left) and Drew Palmini, GHD Global Accessibility Working Group member (right) accept GHD’s award, Credit: GHD

Santa Rosa, July 27, 2023: GHD’s US operations have been named as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” in the 2023 Disability:IN Equality Index (DEI). The DEI is a joint initiative with the American Association of People with Disabilities and serves as a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions toward disability inclusion and equality.

“While we are still at the start of our disability inclusion journey, this is a great achievement early in our efforts and one that is a testament to our Global Accessibility Working Group (GAWG) and our Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group. This recognition proves that with a clear purpose and a dedicated group of committed people, we can make an impact in a short period of time,” said Joel Howell, GHD Inclusion and Diversity Leader for North America and EMEA.

More than 70% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly half of the Fortune 500 participated in this year’s survey, the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and Am Law 100 to measure disability workplace inclusion against competitors. Now in its ninth year, the DEI exists to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment/underemployment of people with disabilities. Click here to see a list of the top-scoring organizations.

“Our Global Accessibility Working Group has started the conversation with colleagues of varying disabilities across our business. It’s an inspirational and collaborative group that contributes to and guides us in making our workplaces and technologies more accessible,” said Drew Palmini, GHD Clients and Business Development Lead, GHD Business School and GWAG working group member.

GHD is a partner of the Disability:IN network which helped to inform our policies, business decisions and programing to create more employee accessibility. As a result, GHD has successfully updated our Reasonable Accommodation policy for employees who have a physical or mental disability, achieved increased awareness and communication about disability inclusion for global employees and created celebration events around International Day for People with Disabilities.

“Businesses have the power to drive the global advancement of disability inclusion, and we’re thrilled to see more companies than ever leverage the Disability Equality Index to measure their progress. We recognize these top-scoring companies as a ‘Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion’ for their passion and efforts to lead the way in creating greater equity for people with disabilities in the workplace, marketplace, and supply chain,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.

Click here to read about GHD’s global inclusion and diversity initiatives.

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 11,000+ specialists are connected across 200 offices located on five continents. www.ghd.com. Find a local office here.

GHD in the Americas

GHD has long-standing client relationships, a significant project and economic footprint in the Americas and represents 40 percent of GHD’s global workforce with nearly 4,000 professionals in over 130 offices in the US, Canada, and Chile. In 2023, our Canadian business was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 employers. GHD ranks #9 in international design firms operating in the US and #8 in Canada according to Engineering News-Record’s 2022 annual survey of key market segments. These rankings reflect the size and significance of our growing North American businesses. To find a local office, click here.