First Data (NYSE: FDC), a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions, has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion as part of the 2019 Disability Equality Index® (DEI), a national, transparent benchmarking tool that offers businesses an opportunity to self-report their disability inclusion policies and practices.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190717005254/en/

First Data has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion as part of the 2019 Disability Equality Index® (DEI) (Graphic: Business Wire)

First Data has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion as part of the 2019 Disability Equality Index® (DEI) (Graphic: Business Wire)

The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a unique, joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). It serves as the nation’s most comprehensive annual benchmarking tool allowing America’s leading corporations to self-report their disability policies and practices.

“This recognition underscores our commitment to providing a safe and supportive work environment that empowers all our owner-associates to thrive,” said Anthony S. Marino, Executive Vice President and Head of Human Resources at First Data. “Receiving this honor is a testament to our ongoing commitment to ensure that diversity and inclusion is at the core of all that we do.”

A critical component of First Data’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is support of eight employee resource groups (ERGs). One ERG, Thrive, is First Data’s disability leadership council. Thrive serves as a resource and advocate for people with disabilities, caregivers, and allies. The group increases awareness about key issues impacting the community, supports owner-associates who have disabilities or are caregivers through an extensive peer-to-peer mentoring network, and helped launch a new partnership with Disability:IN called “Inclusion Works” to foster a more inclusive culture within the company.

“We’ve worked diligently to modernize our workspaces and provide these new resources to owner-associates across the firm,” said Adam Rosman, General Counsel, and Executive Sponsor of First Data’s Thrive ERG. “Now, the impetus is on us to strengthen our efforts and ensure First Data is not only a ‘Best Place to Work’ in 2019, but is so for years to come.”

In its fifth year, the DEI continues to see an increase in year-over-year participation, with the number of top-scoring companies more than tripling to 156 in 2019, as compared to 43 in 2015, signaling a steady growth in disability inclusion initiatives across all industries.

For more information on the 2019 Diversity Equality Index, or to view the full report, visit http://disabilityin.org/DEIReport2019.

About First Data

First Data (NYSE: FDC) is a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions, serving approximately six million business locations and more than 3,700 financial institutions in more than 100 countries around the world. The Company’s 19,000 owner-associates are dedicated to helping companies, from start-ups to the world’s largest corporations, conduct commerce every day by securing and processing more than 3,000 transactions per second and $2.6 trillion per year. For more information, visit www.firstdata.com and follow us on Twitter at @FirstData and LinkedIn.