Disability Outreach

At Southwest Airlines, we take pride in our outreach and commitment to the Disability community. We have community partnerships with a variety of local and national organizations who are dedicated to disability inclusion and related causes and initiatives.

To learn more about our support of the Disability community, please continue to navigate through our page. Visit often to stay up to date on our newest information, community partnerships, and upcoming events. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

Disability Equality Index best place to work for Disability Inclusion  

Disability: IN - Southwest Airlines is a National and Local Partner with Disability: IN and on the 2018 Best Places to Work Index. Southwest provides transportation to the annual conference to help connect interns with premier employers. Multiple job offers are made by those employers of choice for People with Disabilities.

Bridges From School to Work

Established in 1989 by the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, Bridges from School to Work engages employers, schools, community resources, young adults and their families to help businesses meet their workforce needs while offering young adults with disabilities the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed through employment. Each year, Bridges helps more than a thousand young adults–most of whom are transitioning out of high school special education–prepare for the workplace and find a competitive job with an employer in need of qualified, entry-level applicants. Creating and supporting mutually beneficial employment relationships, the program creates opportunities for employment for youth while driving bottom-line results for business. Southwest has hosted interns and provided career day opportunities for Bridges clients to learn more about Southwest, personal branding, interviewing, and goal setting.

Best Buddies

Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Southwest provides campus visits so that Best Buddies clients can see the campus and what jobs may be of interest to them.

Discussion Forums and Social Media

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: My Personal Experience Living Fearlessly Authentic

See how a wheelchair basketball team flies on Southwest Airlines

Flight Attendant uses sign language to speak to Passengers with hearing impairments

Canine Companions for Independence

The Trip of a Lifetime: Southwest to Fly More Than 50 Kidd’s Kids and Their Families to Orlando

Former Indy Car Racer Loves to Fly Southwest as a Quadriplegic

Southwest Airlines surprises special birthday girl with all-day, cross-country trip

For a Third Grade Student, a Day in the Field at Southwest Airlines Fueled His Passion for Aviation

Tristan Meets His Match: Connecting People to What's Important in Their Lives

Colton’s Journey to Independence

Mikaela’s Flight: How a Simple Act of Kindness Put My Daughter and Me at Ease during a Recent Flight