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MillerKnoll Receives 2024 Disability Matters North America Award
April 11,
2024 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic design brands, received the 2024 Disability Matters North America Award. Presented annually by Springboard Consulting LLC, the award honors companies for their innovative programs and successful strategies related to outreach, recruitment, engagement, and retention of candidates, employees, and customers with disabilities. Previous winners of this award include Guardian Life Insurance, Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Kohl's.
This is MillerKnoll's first time receiving this recognition. The company was honored for its work in increasing awareness of disability issues both internally and through its work with clients.
This award underscores MillerKnoll's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts and the work of the associate-led Business Resource Group (BRG), ENABLED, which advocates for accessibility and inclusion.
Cheryl Kern, vice president, global diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, MillerKnoll commented, "Disability Matters is a renowned diversity thought leader, and a forerunner in elevating the needs of the disabled community. We are proud to see our commitment to increasing equity and access acknowledged across our organization and in partnership with our clients. As an industry leader, MillerKnoll remains committed to leveraging best practices and policies, to better address the needs of our associates and stakeholders."
Disability Matters also recognized MillerKnoll's work with clients, specifically the company's role in supporting the design of The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement at Drake University. The Institute's new progressive facility was imagined using inclusive design principles, providing an equitable experience for all people.
Led by renowned architectural firm BNIM, in collaboration with the Harkin Institute and MillerKnoll, four guiding principles were developed for the Harkin Center's building and site design: generous space, equitable experiences, clear path, and individual empowerment. MillerKnoll applied those tenets to its furniture strategy, contributing to a site that goes beyond universal design to be truly inclusive. Local to Des Moines, Iowa where the Harkin Institute is located, dealer Pigott also collaborated on every stage of the project.
Jason Rosenblatt, senior design strategist, MillerKnoll added, "A significant portion of the design process (for the Harkin Institute) occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this passionate team was challenged to drive forward by shifting to an entirely virtual design and advisory process. We are incredibly proud of the outcome and look forward to our continued work as an advocate for more Inclusive Design led practices and policies around the globe."
To learn more about MillerKnoll's DEIB journey, visit our website.
To read more about designing the Harkin Center, view the project profile and the e-book co-authored by The Harkin Institute, BNIM, and MillerKnoll, ALL – The Making of The Tom and Ruth Harkin Center.
Image credit: Courtesy of Springboard Consulting, LLC. Rebecca Greier Horton, senior strategist and global ENABLED business resource group lead, MillerKnoll, accepting Disability Matters Award.