As part of Amazon’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as our ambition to become Earth’s Best Employer. We’re placing additional emphasis on disability inclusion to ensure our workplace is supportive and equitable.
That’s why we’re proud to announce that we’ve achieved Level 3 ‘Leader’ status as part of the government’s Disability Confident scheme. Developed by employers as well as groups representative of disabled people, the scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and improve how they recruit, retain and develop talent within their organisations.
Right now, only 53.7% of people with disabilities are employed, meaning a huge portion of the UK’s skilled workforce is being overlooked due to a lack of adjustments. At Amazon, we believe we work best when our employees reflect the diversity of the customers and communities that we serve. In building and expanding our initiatives that support people with disabilities, we can work towards a workforce is more representative of our customer base and can scale our impact with accessibility and inclusion in mind.
How we are advocating for disability inclusion
Amazon has 13 employee resource groups, known as affinity groups, which drive a sense of community across our global network of employees. One of which is the People with Disabilities affinity group, a network for colleagues who have disabilities and allies to network and promote diversity and inclusion. By offering peer-to-peer support, local and global events, and the chance for members to volunteer as champions for change within our business, it helps ensure Amazon is a safe place for everyone to work.
We have also partnered with the Down’s Syndrome Association to bring colleagues into the business through the charity’s WorkFit programme. Amazon also has one of the UK’s largest private Supported Internships programmes, which acts as a gateway to bringing people with additional educational needs or disabilities into the workforce. We also work with charities to provide a Supported Employment programme, which gives people with disabilities the opportunity for a phased introduction to work.
Amazon has also partnered with The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 Awards as a sponsor, and is nominated for two awards at the 2023 Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative’s RIDI Awards. Meaningful change can only come out of collective effort, which is why Amazon hopes to encourage businesses across the UK to play their part in creating opportunities for everyone in our society.
Read more about how Amazon is supporting the retail industry promote social mobility.
