Aramark Recognized as a “Best Place To Work for Disability Inclusion,” Earns Top-Score on the Disability Equality Index for Seventh Consecutive Year

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / July 12, 2023 / Aramark (NYSE:ARMK), a global provider of hospitality, facilities, and uniform services in 19 countries, today announced it earned a score of 100 on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI), a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN. With this top-score, Aramark is recognized as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion," for the seventh consecutive year.

As part of its Be Well. Do Well. ESG platform, Aramark is committed to enabling equitable outcomes for people, including its employees, customers, and the communities it serves. Earlier this year, Aramark was named a Top 50 Employer by CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine, for the ninth consecutive year, for providing a positive working environment for people with disabilities. Last summer, Aramark Chief Executive Officer, John Zillmer, joined a coalition of 100+ CEOs as a signatory of Disability:IN's CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion, showing Aramark's commitment to advancing disability inclusion and equality.

"The Disability Equality Index allows us to measure both our progression and gaps. At Aramark, our vision is to be the most admired employer and trusted hospitality partner. To achieve this vision, it is critical we create a welcoming and inclusive culture, and recruit and advance a diverse workforce that includes people with disabilities. We recently launched a self-ID campaign encouraging employees to voluntarily and confidentially share/update their identities, including our employees with disabilities. Such efforts will better direct our DEI strategy. Humanity and respect matter, and that's why we are honored to again be recognized," said Fenimore Fisher, VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Aramark.

More than 5,000 employees belong to Aramark's eleven employee resource groups (ERGs), including Aramark Thrive, which is dedicated to the interest of team members who self-identify as having a disability and for caretakers and advocates of those with disabilities. Thrive's mission is to advance acceptance, equity, allyship, and inclusion of people with disabilities, providing meaningful opportunities to thrive.

Thrive members are active year-round, supporting disability organizations such as Special Olympics, Wounded Warrior Project, Drexel Autism Institute, and many others. Earlier this year, Aramark employees and Thrive members were #FreezinForAReason as they participated in Special Olympics Polar Plunges around the country. Thrive also recently partnered with the Drexel Autism Institute, during Disability Employment Awareness Month, to offer career opportunities to people with disabilities. Thrive is currently in the process of expanding globally, with its first international hub being established in Latin America.