AbiliTeam
Building a Community to Advance the Needs of People with Disabilities
The challenge: these issues affect 20% of the population.
In a world where people with disabilities make up 20% of the population but face serious challenges becoming business partners, pioneers, or entrepreneurs, changes are needed.
In order to lead change in the business sector, companies need to produce cross-organizational processes that factor in professional, tailored, and innovative responses from stakeholders in the field. These stakeholders include employees and managers who have direct contact with people with disabilities, employees with disabilities, potential candidates and customers, suppliers, community members, and more.
The bigger challenge: building awareness, imparting managerial tools, and increasing organizational cohesiveness. Many organizations require innovative knowledge and tools to effectively implement and manage necessary processes, such as:
- Bottom-up dialogue with employees from the organization who have contact with people with disabilities
- Increasing awareness among managerial staff regarding employees who are disabled or who care for people with disabilities (i.e. caregivers)
- Ability to conduct themselves effectively with customers and suppliers who have disabilities
- Ability to tailor the products and services the company provides to its local and global customers, including those with disabilities
- Understanding the needs and challenges of its employees who have disabilities
- Ability to overcome barriers and biases against people with disabilities in recruitment processes
JDC Israel Beyond Disabilities, Zionism 2000, and Xtra Mile have developed the “AbiliTeam” program to create a community of workers that will promote initiatives in the field.
The program is a unique, tailor-made solution and enables companies to maintain a comprehensive and innovative system of dialogue both for the organization’s employees and for customers and suppliers, the community, and all others invested in the cause.
The ABILITEAM Solution
Phase 1: set-up:
The set-up phase focuses on identifying the challenges present in the organization, and delivering an initial communication calling out to employees to take part in the program.
Phase 2: establishing the employee community
Our program includes 6-8 sessions that combine professional workshops, group formation, and dialogue between the employees who choose to participate in the community. The group will examine the challenges of diversity and inclusion within the company as it relates to people with disabilities. Additional tools include experiential workshops, division into task groups, and professional training for personal branding and storytelling.
Phase 3: ongoing management of the employee community
In this segment, we focus on creating ongoing activities like meetings, content creation, and communication programs to promote the groups’ initiatives both inside and outside the client organization. Initiatives may include:
Raising awareness
To the issue in the larger community
Adapted welfare
Assistance for employees with disabilities or with family members who have disabilities
Development and training of managers
Teaches administrations how to manage a diverse staff and develop personal leadership skills
Employee experience
Strengthening a sense of belonging, community, and meaning for diverse employees within the organization's employees
Improving recruitment processes
Innovation and practices that promote diversity
Employer branding
Strengthening the organization's reputation as an attractive employer that attracts and retains diverse talents
Tailoring products and services
Addressing the various challenges faced by people with disabilities and creating customized technological solutions
Adaptation and accessibility
Physical and digital accessibility to all events for different target audiences
AbiliTeam
A lifecycle marketing agency leading in the fields of Employer Branding and Purpose Marketing.
An organization with expertise leading Diversity & Inclusion processes in the business sector.
The Center for Social Development for the Promotion of the Independent Lives of People with Disabilities in Israel.
Noa HaCohen, Human Resources Manager and Internal Organization Consultant at Intel Israel, Member of the Executive Team of the IDAN Community at Intel:
Thanks to fruitful collaboration, Intel established the IDAN community – the Intel Disability, and Accessibility Network. This is a community of employees with disabilities, employees who support family members with disabilities, and people with an interest in these issues.
“Working and collaborating with Zionism 2000 and the JDC was amazing. They provided us with tools and knowledge that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Without their support, such a community probably would not have been established.
In addition to establishing the community, the framework created by AbiliTeam allows us to continue to be connected to what is happening outside of Intel in the field as well as to be involved with and influence the organization externally.”
AbiliTeam
AbiliTeam
AbiliTeam is an active employee community program for the advancement of employees with disabilities and their families. It focuses on the personal life of employees, company culture, and the societal issues faced by people with disabilities in the larger community.
