Inclusion Networking Lunch with myAbility
The event at the Forum Alpbach centred around an open and honest exchange of ideas on the inclusion of people with disabilities in working life.
Together with myAbility, we hosted an ‘Inclusion Networking Lunch’ as part of the European Forum Alpbach, which took place at the end of August. Around 30 guests from business, civil society and politics were welcomed by Sigrid Heinzle (Vice President People & Culture at Greiner), Feri Thierry (Secretary General of the European Forum Alpbach) and Wolfgang Kowatsch (Co-Founder of myAbility). The focus was on an open and honest exchange about the inclusion of people with disabilities in working life, from which all participants were able to benefit.
Sigrid Heinzle reported that according to EU statistics, more than 100 million people, i.e. more than 20 per cent of the European Union's population, have a disability. Although this figure is well known among the participants, it is always met with astonishment. ‘100 million people is an incredible pool of talent,’ says Sigrid Heinzle.
In the open discussion round, there were also a number of lessons learnt from other companies that we can benefit from:
- Emphasising the benefits of disability inclusion rather than focusing on barriers, obstacles and challenges.
- Never forget the people behind the numbers, recognise the benefits of disability inclusion for the company's overall health and safety efforts.
There are already many best practices at Greiner today - the Greiner DEI Advisory Board is currently working on a proposal for a group-wide and strategic approach to Disability & Inclusion.