The Disability Equality Index has rated Southern Company as one of the "Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion." The DEI is a joint initiative between American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN that measures policies and practices on a scale from 0 to 100 with a score of 100 awarded only to those companies deemed most inclusive.

Since the DEI's inception in 2015, Southern Company has been listed among the top-ranked companies every year and has earned a perfect score for the past three years.

"Creating a workplace in which every employee can reach his or her full potential is a priority at Southern Company," said Sloane Drake, senior vice president of human resources for Southern Company and Georgia Power. "We are pleased to receive this meaningful distinction which recognizes our efforts to create an inclusive environment for all employees through such efforts and initiatives as employee resource groups, talent acquisition and supplier diversity."

Southern Company earned a 100 percent score reflecting a strong alignment with leading disability-inclusion practices. Specifically:

• Leadership engagement and inclusive culture

• Enterprise-wide accessibility

• Employment and hiring practices

• Community engagement and support services

• Supplier diversity

"The DEI is designed to promote and advance disability inclusion practices and policies within corporate America that lead to better employment outcomes for and inclusion of people with disabilities, as employees, customers and suppliers," said Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN. "When businesses include people with disabilities, everybody wins."

As the nation's most trusted comprehensive benchmarking tool for disability inclusion, the DEI provides an objective assessment of overall business practices. The 2019 DEI Report dives deeper into the insights of the 2019 DEI results and can be accessed here: www.DisabilityIN.org/DEIReport2019.