The O2 Ability Awards allow companies talk about positive experiences hiring and catering for people with disabilities

THE CORE principle behind the O2 Ability Awards is not to promote charitable acts towards people with disabilities, but rather to highlight the compelling business case for the inclusion of those with disabilities.

“The awards are not about lecturing the business case, but allowing companies to talk about their experience,” says Sinéad Harding of Kanchi, which runs the O2 Ability Awards.

Take, for example, Anthony Kernan, a no-nonsense businessman who owns four Eurospar stores across Donegal. Some 10 per cent of his 140 employees have disabilities. He first employed a person with a mental disability 12 years ago and discovered the “enormous benefits” of this decision, from the employees’ “tremendous” loyalty and zero absenteeism rate, to the positive reaction of the local community.

“I saw how well it went and decided any time I was employing people after that, if someone with a disability could do the same job I would certainly interview them and see how it went from there,” he says.

Some minor adjustments were made to accommodate people, and what Kernan discovered was that these changes actually made the roles easier for all employees, not just those with disabilities.

But is there really a business imperative for an inclusive employment strategy? “If there wasn’t I wouldn’t be doing it,” he says. “First of all this is a business that has to be profitable . . . I’m not a charity.”

He advises all employers to have an open mind when hiring staff. “Because of the added-on value that you get from providing people with disabilities with employment, it makes perfect economic sense,” he explains.

Harding believes that the promotion of businesses such as Kernan’s Eurospar stores through the O2 Ability Awards can influence change on a wider scale. Kernan’s model is attracting attention, and customers like it, and as a result Eurospar’s franchise operators are considering rolling it out on a wider basis, she says.

Another organisation shortlisted for this year’s O2 Ability Awards is Dublin City Public Libraries, which has implemented a huge number of initiatives designed to create a culture of inclusion. One of the most innovative of these is its bibliotherapy project, which is based on the concept that reading can be a healing experience. People suffering from mental health issues such as stress, anxiety or depression are “prescribed” reading material selected from a list of 38 different texts by their GP as part of their treatment.

The project is working really well, says Margaret Hayes, deputy Dublin city librarian, and about 5,500 books have been borrowed so far. This pilot programme has been such a success that it has led to the creation of a national bibliotherapy programme, the Power of Words.

Dublin City Public Libraries has also gone to great lengths to ensure that its material and facilities are equally accessible to all members of the public. These initiatives range from large print, audio and Braille books to large keyboards and magnifiers to assist people when using library resources. Software has also been made available that can convert text to audio, which not only benefits clients with visual impairments, but also people with learning disabilities or those who are learning English, as they can control the speed of the audio material.

Several Dublin libraries are being refurbished to improve accessibility. The Drumcondra branch is about to be reopened having undergone extensive refurbishment, with new ramps installed, wheelchair accessible toilets and so on. Ballsbridge Library is due to reopen shortly too.

“All of the physical issues have been addressed to make [the buildings] more universally accessible,” Hayes says. “Now the challenge is the communication end – letting people know we’re back in business.”

Not only will these refurbishments

facilitate greater access for the public, but it will mean that staff with disabilities will be able to work in positions in any of the network’s branches.

Cavan County Council has also made the awards shortlist this year. “We decided in our corporate plan five years ago to focus on the area of social inclusion in general, and the issue of accessibility in particular,” says county manager Jack Keyes.

The council is participating in the DisabledGo (disabledgo.com) project by providing an online guide to 500 venues and services throughout Co Cavan, with information on the facilities and level of access that people with disabilities are likely to encounter.

The council has also put considerable effort into developing a positive attitude among its staff towards people with disabilities.

“We try to adapt our services to suit each individual’s needs, rather than trying to make them change to suit our model,” Keyes says.

Businesses interested in the O2 Ability Awards and other projects run by Kanchi can find out more at kanchi.org. The awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday April 12th in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin.