July 21, 2022 – CSX has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN, achieving a 100 score on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI).

Through a wide range of actions that demonstrate the company’s commitment to providing an inclusive workplace, CSX earned a place on the “Best Place to Work” list for fourth consecutive year. The list recognizes companies that score 80 or above on the DEI, which is the leading benchmarking tool for evaluating disability workplace inclusion.

“Achieving the top DEI score of 100 is a testament to the effectiveness of our company’s efforts to enhance disability inclusion through facility modifications, recruitment, education and advocacy,” said Stephanie Noel, vice president of Human Resources and chief diversity officer. “Disability inclusion is an important part of our corporate culture, which emphasizes collaboration and collective success.”

Among many recent actions designed to attract and support employees with disabilities, the company commissioned a third-party accessibility evaluation of its headquarters office buildings, which resulted multiple upgrades, such as changing doorknobs to handles, installing automatic badge-activated parking lot gates with extended open time to accommodate wheelchairs, and lowering of automated external defibrillator boxes for easier access.

Other actions have included CSX President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Foote’s signing of the Disability:IN organization’s CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion; assigning dedicated recruiters for disability and military job candidates; and contributing to organizations that support people with disabilities.

CSX also continues to strengthen its culture of disability inclusion through the efforts of the company’s ABLE Inclusion Group, an employee-led organization that raises awareness, hosts events and provides a supportive environment for individuals with disabilities. Recent ABLE-sponsored activities have included forums on disability etiquette, Parkinson’s disease awareness and disability inclusion practices in technology.

“The ABLE Inclusion Group, along with CSX’s many other business resource groups, has been vital to our company’s wide-ranging efforts to create and sustain a culture of equity and inclusion,” said Michael Burns, vice present and general counsel and executive sponsor of the ABLE group. “We’re committed to ensuring every employee can succeed in their role by contributing to the full extent of their abilities.”

CSX was among 240 companies in 2022 to earn the top DEI score of 100.

“Disability inclusion is a rapidly expanding aspect of corporate culture,” said Jill Houghton, president and chief executive officer of Disability:IN. “Top-scoring companies not only excel in disability inclusion, many are also adopting emerging trends and pioneering measures that can move the disability agenda from accommodation to inclusion and ultimately, genuine belonging.”

For more information on the 2022 Disability Equality Index, visit www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org.