The Walt Disney Company has announced that its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standards are changing.
The Walt Disney Company
According to Axios, a note was sent to employees of the company on Tuesday, February 11th, from chief human resources officer Sonia Coleman, with an outline noting the way that the company’s DEI standards and efforts will change.
Many companies have started to also remove or adjust their DEI practices, and according to the memo seen by Axios, Disney’s changes are not as dramatic as some of the changes that other Fortune 500 companies have made in recent weeks.
Walt Disney Company Headquarters in Burbank
The note also states that beginning this fiscal year, Disney will replace the current “Diversity and Inclusion” performance factor with “Talent Strategy.” This new arm of the company will still include concepts from the previous DEI arm, but will be “more focused on how values drive business success.”
Partners Statue in Burbank
There will also be a new website and DEI rebranding as Disney is getting rid of its Reimagine Tomorrow initiative as well as the website. This initiative was controversial when it was introduced, and its goal was to “highlight stories and talent from underrepresented communities.”
@Disney
The change will also include a rebranding of its Business Employee Resource Groups, otherwise known as BERGs. The B that once stood for “Business” will now be “Belonging,” changing BERGs to “Belonging Employee Resource Groups.” The goal of the rebrand is to focus on strengthening the employee community and workplace experience.
Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, California
That is not all that is changing. While this was not part of the note sent out today, sources confirmed to Axios that Disney is planning to change the language of some of their content advisories on their streaming services. Previously, the advisories would run before the title started, but now, they will be found in the details section.
©Disney || Disney+
These auto-play content advisory disclaimers run on certain films such as Peter Pan and Dumbo. The warning included the language “includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures.” It will now be adjusted to “This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions,” which will now be found in the details section.
Peter Pan and Wendy
This is not the first time that Disney has quietly changed diversity, equity, and inclusion language; last month, Disney removed one word from its Disability Access Service (DAS) website. In 2024, Disney announced a massive change to its DAS program to help limit overuse. When the service changed, the language read, ““DAS is intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.”
Cosmic Rewind Queue
But now, Disney has removed the word “only,” and it now reads, “DAS is intended to accommodate those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.” This change came ahead of a class action lawsuit that was filed against Disney’s DAS policies.
Line for Space Mountain
Since coming back as CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2022, Bob Iger has tried to remove the company from politics, and it seems like this shift in their DEI programs is his way of taking the company away from being “agenda-driven” and instead “entertainment-driven” — a priority he confirmed at an Investor call in 2023.
Walt Disney Studios
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Disney needs to change what they create and who they hire and who they give key projects to. These changes just announced seem more like window dressing than the fundamental change that Disney needs to make. Disney’s new creative releases have been so-so, with a few wins and many more flops. Disney has lost the trust of many historically loyal parents and grandparents over it’s extreme LGBTQ advocacy. Disney needs to be honest with itself and make the necessary changes to reclaim it’s place as the top family entertainment organization in the world. Maybe Disney can’t make the required changes as long as Bob Iger remains CEO. We only have one more year to go, and I hope Disney’s Board does not select a Bob Iger clone.
Disney was moving in the right direction
This is a set back for the company but the whole country is taking a giant step back. Hopefully this is the only mistake Disney will make in this regard
I must say I was very surprised to walk in a shop outside Cinderellas Castle to be greeted at the door with a man with a beard dressed as a princess. He was very nice waving his wand and welcoming all in.
When you get lost or confused, you can’t ask a cast member, they don’t KNOW. We were leaving Epcot and sked Epcot one night, asked the cast member guiding people if we could take the monorail to MK then a bus to the Wilderness Lodge. Cast member said yes, then guided us to monorail……..Weren’t we surprised when we arrived at the ticket and transportation center to find NO ONE…NOT A SOUL! No buses, no boats nothing. I looked at my son and said “hang on to the back of my scooter and we will ride over to the Wilderness Lodge. That night was a nightmare, but we laugh about it now.
I wish that Disney would have remained steadfast on the DEI frontier. Disappointing and frustrating for so many Disney employees, guests and share holders like myself!
@Carolyn, you get off the monorail at the TTC and get on the other monorail to Magic Kingdom
Chrystie, thank you for letting me know. We try to use the monorail as much as possible.