Disney employees will now be able to have visible tattoos and more freely express themselves with their clothes and haircuts as a result of a new initiative from the company to become more inclusive for its workers and visitors.
Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks chairman, said a 16-month focus group of employees suggested adding “inclusion” to the company’s core values, saying the new key element will be “essential to our culture and leads us forward”.
The company’s values will now be known as The Five Keys (previously there had been four) that are safety, show, courtesy, efficiency and, now, inclusion.
As a part of the company’s new inclusivity efforts, employees will now have more autonomy when dressing for work.
“Our new approach provides greater flexibility with respect to forms of personal expression surrounding gender-inclusive hairstyles, jewelry, nail styles and costume choices; and allowing appropriate visible tattoos. We’re updating them to not only remain relevant in today’s workplace, but also enable our cast members to better express their cultures and individuality at work,” D’Amaro said in a statement.
Deadline reports the company has long had strict restrictions on the appearance of their employees. According to the publication, people who worked at the park when it first opened in 1955 through 2012 were not allowed to wear facial hair.
Inclusion efforts also include making changes to “remove racially insensitive portrayals” in rides like Splash Mountain and Jungle Cruise, according to Entertainment Weekly. Splash Mountain will become Adventures with Princess Tiana.
