Globally, people with disabilities represent over one billion people. Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and it crosses lines of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion. At Pearson, we believe in providing equal opportunities for everyone—our employees, students, and customers.
For the second year in a row, Pearson has earned a top score on the Disability Equality Index® (DEI), the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and Am Law 2001 to measure disability workplace inclusion. Launched in 2015 by Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Disability Equality Index® (DEI) is acknowledged today as the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business.
Tenchita Urteaga Diego, Senior Braille Proofreader and Trainer, is happy to work for a company that prioritizes accessibility for everyone. She said, "I am grateful to work for Pearson. Everyone is always supportive and willing to help each other. Anytime something is not accessible, such as a form, whoever is responsible for it immediately searches for a solution or they provide an alternative to achieve the same result.”
Tenchita was born with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disease that affects many premature babies. She began learning braille at the age of four, alongside taking piano and swimming lessons. In middle school, she received additional support through vision services, which included continuing to learn braille and using assistive technology. While it has been reported that only 10 percent of those who are blind or low vision learn to read braille, Tenchita was more than happy with the support she received throughout her education, “I believe I had the best education possible. I was always busy with piano and braille, but it was worth it.”
During her transition from student to joining the workforce, she joined a very positive and encouraging work environment. She was eager to do everything right and asked thousands of questions. In 2020, Tenchita joined Pearson as part of the Braille Print Services team, which has been another supportive experience for her. In her daily work, she uses assistive technology including a screen reader and a braille display to create and proofread braille for students across the US.
For other companies looking to ensure or improve access, equity, and equality for employees with disabilities, Tenchita recommends that “companies hire people with disabilities and listen to their employees. Typically, people know what they need and are willing to cooperate with a company to find a solution.” When asked what she’d like more people to know about her disability, Tenchita replied, “I try to live a normal life just like everyone else.”
Now in its eighth year, the Disability Equality Index® exists to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities—measuring Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; Non-U.S. Operations. Visit the Disability Equality Index® 2022 Best Places to Work to view the full list of companies that received top scores.
Sarah Fiedler is Senior Communications Manager for Pearson Corporate Marketing & Communications