Breaking down barriers for a more inclusive future: our commitment to people with disabilities
4 April 2024
In 2019, the United Nations Office in Geneva established the UN Strategy for disability inclusion and published guidelines for the correct use of language when talking about disability and inclusion - the “Disability-Inclusion Language Guidelines” – with the aim of reflecting and making people reflect on the way we express ourselves in relation to certain issues, to break down barriers and learn how to involve people with disabilities in all areas of private and work life.
Around the world, 20% of people deal with disability every day; in Italy alone there 16 million of them, a figure that equates to one in 10 families. Given this data, it is easy to see how the debate about disability is more relevant and necessary than ever. A debate that begins with the language, of course, and how we use it, but which for us translates into an actual commitment, and into all the actions we have taken and continue to take in this regard.
FROM WORDS TO DEEDS
“I am committed to working actively to ensure the continuous improvement of access for people with disabilities and their empowerment.” The words of our CEO Gianluca Di Tondo resonate in all our hearts and are the foundation of our daily commitment to making the Barilla Group increasingly inclusive and welcoming for all.
Every day we take responsibility for overcoming physical and mental barriers, raising awareness of visible and invisible disabilities. We have multiple and ambitious objectives: we want to make Barilla products and packaging more accessible to people with disabilities, raise awareness and welcome abilities that are different and unique, each in their own way, encouraging innovation by including our employees’ personal skills.
AN ACCESSIBLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Our commitment to people with disabilities is reflected both in targeted programmes and active inclusion policies, through which we ensure that all our employees have the opportunity to contribute to the company's success in a full and meaningful way, and in working environments that, from a physical point of view, meet the needs of all our employees.
ThisAbility, our Employee Resource Group dedicated to the topic of disability, is an excellent example of our desire to promote a working environment that allows every employee to express their maximum potential. This approach not only enriches diversity within our work groups, but also consolidates our ability to innovate and compete in the external market.
The new Research and Development Centre we are working on and planning to inaugurate in 2025, however, is our ideal model of an accessible place. Designed to explore the new frontiers of food research and innovation, and to accommodate cutting-edge spaces such as design thinking areas, tasting rooms, sensory studies and innovative cooking, the centre will include flexible furnishings, paths for the visually impaired and tactile maps.
The constant support offered to people with disabilities allows us to be a dynamic and inclusive team, where each member is valued for their personal perspectives and unique skills. This is how we also strengthen the sense of belonging and cohesion within our corporate community.
This is how we contribute to making every employee feel an integral part of our working family.
VALUABLE COLLABORATIONS FOR CHANGE
And since we believe in collaboration as the key element behind every great change, to really make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities we have chosen to actively cooperate with organisations that specialise in this field. To mark the 40th anniversary of our Foggia plant, for example, we donated a minibus to iFun, the association with which our local ERG ThisAbility has been working for over a year and which offers a valuable service to the families of autistic children and young people in the Puglia region.
We also confirm our ongoing commitment to promoting inclusion by joining The Valuable 500, a global movement whose aim is to engage businesses and companies and encourage them to include disability in their corporate leadership agenda. This partnership not only gives us the opportunity to strengthen our impact, but also allows us to come into contact with other organisations which, like us, intend to raise the level of awareness and foster a willingness to take action in the field of inclusiveness.
Together with our partner we are developing an action plan to make our workplace increasingly inclusive – a plan which includes, among other things, the establishment of a new Reasonable Accommodation Process (RAP) by 2024 in four main stages:
- We began by identifying the internal parties who will be responsible for this process and clearly defining the purpose and objectives of the RAP. At the same time, we analysed a sample of employees currently receiving reasonable accommodations;
- We then met with stakeholders to get feedback on current processes and some employees with disabilities to understand their perspective;
- We will now design the process in every detail, outlining the purpose and practice of the new RAP;
- Finally, we will develop and deliver appropriate training to HR professionals on all aspects of the process.
From words to deeds: again we believe that only by starting with a discussion, with an open and effective dialogue, can we promote change, and continue to make a difference for all our employees with disabilities.
RECOGNITION AND CONTINUOUS COMMITMENT
In 2018, Disability Matters Europe rewarded us with the STEP-TO-SUCCESS AWARD for the Hackability@Barilla project – an exemplary case history in the world of technology applied to the needs of people with disabilities. And in 2023, we received the Areté prize in the Internal Communication area for our “ThisAbility” project.
We believe that each of these achievements reflects our ongoing commitment to promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion and our desire to represent a positive role model for our employees, our partners and the communities in which we live and work.
But the awards we have received are not just simple recognition: they are real catalysts for our future development. Thanks to them, we can continue to build a methodological basis for our actions, identify the most effective practices, evaluate our progress and compare ourselves with the experiences of other companies.
For us, each award is an encouragement to exceed our limits and pursue new goals. A fundamental starting point for our growth path and for our commitment to an ever better future.
OUR PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH
If you want to delve deeper into the topics we have just addressed, here are some reading suggestions:
- Disability-Inclusion Language Guidelines, prepared by the United Nations Office at Geneva as part of efforts to implement the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy.
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