I Lopez: Well, good morning everyone and welcome to the 2022 disability matters Europe conference and awards live stream.
I Lopez: Before we get started just some housekeeping i've been placing it in chat if you are a native captioning or subtitles.
I Lopez: The function is located at the bottom of your screen, there should be a C C caption icon and there you can click and adjust your settings.
I Lopez: Also, questions and answers if interested in placing a question for our panelists.
I Lopez: And sure that you place it into the queue a function, which is at the bottom of your screen this way your questions it's not get lost in chat.
I Lopez: And with that let's get started so we're going to bring to the stage our disability mama the disability queen the CEO of springboard consulting may Dean vogel may Dean Good morning, how are you feeling today.
Nadine Vogel: I am good i'm doing well covered it all say thank you and welcome everyone.
Nadine Vogel: To springboard 16th year of producing this world renowned event disability matters conference at awards this conference takes place annually in North America, Europe and Asia.
Nadine Vogel: It is just one component of springboard consulting work with corporations all around the world to mainstream people with disabilities as customers.
Nadine Vogel: Employees and candidates really it's about every aspect of disability inclusion that you all as corporate executives are working on.
Nadine Vogel: This year is especially important as we have dedicated it to the people of Ukraine.
Nadine Vogel: And, especially those who are disabled adults, they will children and other family members who are perhaps a wounded can't get to safety, get to food.
Nadine Vogel: This is really a challenge for everyone, but especially those with disabilities and even more so if they've lost family members, so please join me in saying lori to Ukraine.
Nadine Vogel: Now if you've looked at our agenda you'll see we have quite a lineup of presenters we will educate you inspire you and motivate you to advance every aspect of your own journey as it relates to disability inclusive.
Nadine Vogel: Now, in addition to learning about success stories, I want you to pay attention because you're also going to hear from folks to talk about challenges or things that maybe didn't work so well.
Nadine Vogel: Why are we doing this because we know that we you all, as we learn just as much from what didn't work, as did please make sure that you ask questions you engage with our speakers provide commentary so many of your own experiences and most of all it joined every aspect of the day.
Nadine Vogel: So, as you may have heard this year's conference was originally going to take place in person.
Nadine Vogel: It was going to be in Rome, so what happened well coven continued to rear its ugly head, and in fact I have coven now for the for the second time, but if not for the absolute commitment of our host sponsor birla.
Nadine Vogel: We wouldn't have had this event we wouldn't had an in person, but we certainly wouldn't have had in here today.
Nadine Vogel: But really.
Nadine Vogel: is committed, not just to springboard but to every aspect of disability inclusion.
Nadine Vogel: And to show that, even though coven stood in the way real said no, we are going to have this event, it is important that we educate people and share these experiences so for that perilla.
Nadine Vogel: Thank you so much for hosting this event, this year, everyone who's participating, you should know that this is a really second time for hosting the event, and we are so honored absolutely honored to have you.
Nadine Vogel: Now we also have European University in Rome, and we want to thank them as a bronze sponsor this year as well, for their commitment not only to the conference, but to people with disabilities, in fact.
Nadine Vogel: Like I mentioned, we were going to have the event in Rome, it was going to be at the campus of European university, so perhaps another time we will do that.
Nadine Vogel: But the other thing I want to bring up about our bronze sponsor is that a few years ago they made the commitment to.
Nadine Vogel: create a program for diversity and disability management and i've been really honored to participate in that program so again, thank you to European university and, last but not least, is our global media sponsor diversity nba.
Nadine Vogel: Know we're gonna have a lot of information that we're going to share.
Nadine Vogel: I want you to snap chat tweet and post information as you hear it, because so many people aren't getting to participate so it's hashtag DM you are.
Nadine Vogel: 2022 again hashtag DM your 2020 to take screenshots and food it with your commentary, we want to make people that couldn't be here jealous that they're not with us.
Nadine Vogel: and know that they should join us next time but also we want to spread the education and the information that you're all getting today so with that I think i'm going to turn it back over to me that.
I Lopez: Thank you, and a Dean, and to the stage chief financial officer, but really group is Giancarlo.
I Lopez: pratik.
Giangaddo Prati: Hello everybody Good morning, and nothing, thank you for inspiring introduction, so today I have the privilege to be here and to welcome all of you.
Giangaddo Prati: Welcome to the disability matter Europe conference this year, Maria is proud to offer these we have an event, together with springboard.
Giangaddo Prati: And we are grateful for the participation of so many companies that the chairs our commitment to the inclusion of people with disability as employee as a partner shopper and end consumer.
Giangaddo Prati: My name is Jen got the property i'm the executive sponsor of disability they employee resource group, taking care of visibility within the body like.
Giangaddo Prati: i'm a group by chief and I shall and chief information officer, but a lot i'm also an executive coach and the well being coach.
Giangaddo Prati: But I mean this single things that I like the most is being the EPI father of two amazing.
Giangaddo Prati: daughter, so I want to tell you my own story on why i'm so passionate about the visibility and.
Giangaddo Prati: To do so, I must go back a few we are when I had my first experience that the normal camper here in Italy.
Giangaddo Prati: dinamo camper probably you know is that, as part of our C span, the children snacked worker is a recreational therapy camper the first in Italy specially structure to us the sick children in therapy or in the post hospitalization free of charge.
Giangaddo Prati: For holiday and relaxation period after dinner camper these kids with disability and many of them would see this pathologies that can really be children for a few weeks.
Giangaddo Prati: dinamo offers them and their parents value that experience, where they real curious love their and their medicine man become fun, I mean the animal is a is really a magic at police.
Giangaddo Prati: The first time a visitor the kemper I engage with so many people they deny management and they can train our other volunteers and of course they keep themselves so.
Giangaddo Prati: I felt so incredibly expire single those people taking care of the children, the parents and there was such a positive energies perceiving the love and attention on one side that and.
Giangaddo Prati: The APP is mile, on the other side that you know, he was really contagious I know, since i'm a father, you know, since i'm a father every smile of a child.
Giangaddo Prati: is acquired that such an important meaning to me and the understanding that there is a way to bring happiness to those kids that with disability really intrigued me and then I start to think.
Giangaddo Prati: It would be a preview legit well them to ending factor, by the way, at the end, the focus that we started my first real raw material experience at the other camp.
Giangaddo Prati: In the last days I mean getting prepared for for such an introduction I was really thinking about the benefit of disability, I mean many of us.
Giangaddo Prati: Are leader in the company and that to reflect upon the benefits of opening gap our company to disability and as a leader in a company, I see many benefits of disability inclusion.
Giangaddo Prati: For our people, but also for our for our business in the last few years we have seen a greater push towards having more inclusion.
Giangaddo Prati: Having more voices of people with disability in the conversation, of course, along with other voices that that in the company, we may not always.
Giangaddo Prati: And all these voices are important, the voices of people with disability, the richness of that voice.
Giangaddo Prati: should be included in the conversation because of the skills and the knowledge and then valuable perspective that people with disability could bring to the company think about this.
Giangaddo Prati: Every single job advert, you see, we say that the company is looking for a problem solver people who think outside of the box grating work at the end so and so forth.
Giangaddo Prati: Now people with disability our major problem solver because they live in a world that that has been designed that without having that in mind.
Giangaddo Prati: That developer phenomenal Problem Solving skill that because the world has not given them any option, they accept him worker, because they are comfortable communicating their needs and making practical assessment that of who is the best sweetie two different tasks.
Giangaddo Prati: People with disability tend to bring some sense of loyalty to what their workplace many large corporation i've told the story about the benefits of hiring people with disability and improve.
Giangaddo Prati: Their performance and their overall our bottom line we don't so much in the last few years about the world of talent.
Giangaddo Prati: Finding the right talent can be difficult, if your organization is a hiring people with disability, you are missing out on a master and top but talented pooler.
Giangaddo Prati: Working with disability processes skills and experiences that that can offer employee or a competitive advantage, for example.
Giangaddo Prati: Research shows that many adult without his ma process I get an average ability in pattern recognition, mathematics and memory.
Giangaddo Prati: And you know that are all idly recognizes killer in the technology field that and the many, many, many other sector.
Giangaddo Prati: Employees with disability can also offer creativity, innovation and device perspective on how to confront challenges and out to get a job done.
Giangaddo Prati: and other important benefits hiring people with disability conveying and promote an inclusive work environment these encouraged empathy is in the workplace.
Giangaddo Prati: It treat that is important that to wherever when I mean you work with customer you what do we plan that and can improve the perception of the company from the consumer point of view.
Giangaddo Prati: Inclusion can also have a big impact on our employees feel that they their workplace.
Giangaddo Prati: And then, I have a last things that led to they want to mention that and people with disability makeup one of the largest consumer market segments around the world.
Giangaddo Prati: One of the best way to tap into this market segment is through a presentation in the workplace.
Giangaddo Prati: People want to support company that can make their needs that hiring and promoting people with disability shackles jumeirah with disability, as well as their family and friends.
Giangaddo Prati: That they are value which may cause them to think more favorably of the company and encourage them.
Giangaddo Prati: to become a remain that you know your customer in a nutshell, there are many, many, many reasons to open up our companies that to people with disability and I invite all of you being inspired from these events.
Giangaddo Prati: And to make up your mind on these ability jermaine within your organization, I want to conclude the sharing that battery law, our commitment to diversity equity and inclusion.
Giangaddo Prati: is based on our belief that this is the right thing to do and don't say good for our company in our business, we have made disability inclusion, a priority, but does any organization, we need.
Giangaddo Prati: To get it right, we have like it where people were passing this journey, such as valuable 500 the springboard the and then, as I mentioned that the number camper.
Giangaddo Prati: And for an hour an employee from the disability rg who dedicated their time and, therefore, to make us better, so I encourage you to let yourself be inspired by these events take the most out of it and enjoy these ability matter European Conference me nicely.
Nadine Vogel: Jen gotta Thank you so much, you know your your comments made me think about my comments earlier in in your commitment and beryllium commitment as a company to people with disabilities, whether they're your customers or their your.
Nadine Vogel: Employees so once again thank you so much for helping us open the official 2022 disability matters Europe conference event.
I Lopez: Thank you Dean, and now we kick off our first session.
I Lopez: To the stage associate Professor.
I Lopez: organizational psychology at the European University of Rome is Professor Gabriella georgie and joining him his PhD candidate teaching assistant and lecturer for European University of Rome is Dr Georgia me better instead.
I Lopez: Along with her is associate Professor work and organizational psychology human and social sciences department at the University of San Antonio and Manuela in goosey.
I Lopez: Professor University of Florence Italy Nicola mucci.
I Lopez: and associate Professor department of psychology only versus others evita Jose em Leon Paris, welcome to the stage.
I Lopez: Professor georgie I see you Nice.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Thank you, thank you for that, and thank you Dean, thank you springboard consulting.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Thank you all so Barry law for this special event i'm very happy to be here, if any fees this event event is online is very important, so welcome to have everybody.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: In this session we try actually to advance your disability case management, knowledge and skill set to an exploration of concept evidence based best practice academic research.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: and ethical responsibilities by recognizing the essential contribution of disability management, including they're all in announcing employee well being.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: retention and productivity we're putting realize the importance of this topic and I want to stress the importance of disability management as Nadine varga report disability is a business imperative.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: The session i'm going to provide to provide a deeper analysis of the many approach we have occupational doctors.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Social psychology so organizational psychology an expert in management so actually many roads many complex cpt many complexities many challenger and, of course, we encourage and interactive approach so feel free to make questions.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: So I.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Am i'm asking Georgia to give the speech.
I Lopez: Georgia we can't hear you.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: yeah, we need to do.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Okay perfect now should hear me so hi everyone and in first place i'd like to.
Georgia Libera Finstad: say thank you to springboard for having me today as a speaker and really honored and proud to be able to participate in such a significant event.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And I also like to thank Professor georgie for organizing this session for moderating it and Michael speakers for the precious contributions.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So I am I work in the research field i'm a teaching assistant and my main research topics are future of work, highly work new psychosocial risks and the topic of diversity and inclusion.
Georgia Libera Finstad: In this regard, i'm also a lecturer for the advanced training course and disability and diversity management at a European festival and i'm an associate disability manager of the Italiana management federation.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So it is one string training course is one of the first initiatives in Italy, which is specifically dedicated to the training of this figure.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Of the disability and diversity manager and the course is now in its fourth edition and it's a very structured course with topics like so the recruitment and selection.
Georgia Libera Finstad: professional development will being discrimination and we more than 100 hours of blended teaching and a project work and internships.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So whatever like to talk about today is a systematic review we have recently conducted and we chose the topic of the employment of people with disabilities.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And we decided to specifically focus on to me moments of the employment cycle on one side, the recruitment selection phase and, on the other side, the career management process.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And i'd like to start with two considerations one people with disabilities, represent the largest minority group with over 1 billion of individuals living with some form of disability or 15% of the world population.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And this number will increase and that's because of demographic phenomenal like the race of aging or an increase in chronic diseases and all these strands are.
Georgia Libera Finstad: reflected in the Labor market, on the other side of my second consideration is that visibility is not a quality.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Visibility stems from the interaction with the environment, for example, one of the crucial aspects for.
Georgia Libera Finstad: To define disability is participation restrictions, like in social activities or or at work and that's why we should, and we have to intervene on the environment.
Georgia Libera Finstad: to decrease and to overcome all the possible limitations and this sense participation in the library market is one of the main goals for both work, it will beings and social sustainability.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Work is much more than a waiver to consumption and is directly connected with the well being of the workers.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Even if you look at the same definition or will being the World Health Organization, we can see that will being stems from a state in which an individual can fully participate and contribute to his or her community and to work productively.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And this is true even for people with disabilities work represents an opportunity for financial independence for autonomy for social interactions and building a sense of identity and purpose.
Georgia Libera Finstad: But despite all the initiatives the employment rates of people with disabilities remain low worldwide.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And the situation may worsen due to call in 19 and on the other side when people with disabilities have a job, this is usually characterized by.
Georgia Libera Finstad: horizontal and vertical segregation low status low income and fewer opportunities for self determination and for skills acquisition.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And, most of the research focuses on the first phase, the selection phase, without analyzing what happens when the socialization process begins.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So what we did we focus on too many moments of deployment cycle and we analyze 28 articles from different countries like United States Malaysia United Kingdom, Italy.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Norway and Denmark, and most of the previous studies did not consider his ability as an eternal genius group.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Employers additives and the kind of barriers and discrimination that employers and employees face.
Georgia Libera Finstad: may change, depending on the type of disability and so what we did we analyze a large pool of disabilities like sensory disabilities physical disabilities or the audience the autism spectrum and we decided to use what we call a differential approach SUP the results.
Georgia Libera Finstad: showed out people with disabilities face high a high degree of discrimination from the selection process.
Georgia Libera Finstad: From the when job obligations in which disabilities mentioned, from the outset, receive up to 26% less interest and what is concerning is that if this happens, even when the disabilities.
Georgia Libera Finstad: When a disability, does not interfere with the role.
Georgia Libera Finstad: that's what it's really concerning usually employers are are concerned with physical fear or the cultural fear of the employees or the cost of accommodations, but these assumptions are usually untrue.
Georgia Libera Finstad: Because it causes cost of accommodation are usually less than exploiting employees expect and people with disabilities in the workplace are associated with a range of benefits like better word climate.
Georgia Libera Finstad: More more Problem Solving higher performance and highest levels of innovation.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And usually discrimination is associated is the product of various aspects, like, for example, we have false beliefs or the skills.
Georgia Libera Finstad: or a stigma associated with their condition or, again, we can have like corporate cultures that discouraged flexible solution.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And on the other side when people with disabilities entered the Labor market, they face fewer opportunities for career development and for growing in the company.
Georgia Libera Finstad: career development is a complex nonlinear process and his hat is heavily influenced by other factors like, for example, the level of self efficacy.
Georgia Libera Finstad: But, most importantly, what is the organizational environment so all the HR policies that can influence, for example, the mentoring programs or the counseling programs and performance evaluation methods.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And so, usually what happens is that employers think that people with disabilities may not want to advance and they do not assign major projects and responsibilities that are essential for demonstrating competence and for for growing in a company.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So I like to conclude what all the what can be done in the organization and all the kind of interventions and there are three main interventions that can be done first.
Georgia Libera Finstad: talk, talk management commitment is one of the most important things and organizations, then we have disability university goals as part of the strategic plans.
Georgia Libera Finstad: And then we have the formal inclusion of disability related policies like, for example, got organization should use structured interviews.
Georgia Libera Finstad: To avoid any possible biases like disability related information which is not associated with a specific role so organization to us up today to job analysis in order to extrapolate.
Georgia Libera Finstad: The characteristics for a specific role and to evaluate the candidate afterwards, and then we can have short on the job assistance counseling and mentoring programs, and all the all these initiatives should be should be inserted into our wider corporate culture that sustain everything.
Georgia Libera Finstad: So thank you, Professor georgie, I think, the floor is yours.
Georgia Libera Finstad: We cannot hear you.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Yes, thank you very much, Dr dre for these inspiring presentation and I appreciate this systematic.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: review in academia, we usually do this kind of research that bring up a man status from over the war, the and so for sure.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Especially the interventions are need to be designed, also by academic research because it's very important to stress their relationship between disability management and performance visit disability management career and for sure we will be some question George about your your speech.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: So thank you again for these brilliant presentation, I am inviting a man, well, I will share Manuela is.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: associate professor of organizational psychology and also she's a director of a new master in disability management, she will talk about these and your mastery needs, it is very important that also academia is.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Large inca teaching gold, so the Program.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: with disability.
Emanuela Ingusci: Thank you Gabriella can again, I think.
Emanuela Ingusci: I will speak.
Emanuela Ingusci: In a few minutes about an academic I will share with you to contribution in academic or contribution which.
Emanuela Ingusci: starts for almost perspective vertical perspective of our jgr job demands resources model and in empirically practical law contribution I wish a good practically in Italy with a video feeds.
Emanuela Ingusci: For the academic contribution.
Emanuela Ingusci: We.
Emanuela Ingusci: carry out in exploratory study is a project in which it involved with the master over diversity in disability management.
Emanuela Ingusci: it's better to study about the disability as a resource in a human resource management, because.
Emanuela Ingusci: In Italy there is a new world for perspective and obvious important too, because.
Emanuela Ingusci: A is a limited to.
Emanuela Ingusci: manage difficulties and the needs and our special needs and we call them in this corner context, but in this case I.
Emanuela Ingusci: Work and inside the organization will be and the quality of life at all I wanted to.
Emanuela Ingusci: focus on a different perspective of a disability, my work at is a resource in the company so dying of a disease study was to explore.
Emanuela Ingusci: How they variable a new job with a disability, as a resource, these are be to work and as job resource and it can be related to external behavior and this relation we.
Emanuela Ingusci: Consider is the relational he just come finger, which is a variable the proxy BA BA BA aura.
Emanuela Ingusci: Which.
Emanuela Ingusci: Time to to to share needs person our needs and interests with the performance and roller tasks are in the work, the results are very interesting I.
Emanuela Ingusci: speak about results on the discussion in the future overall.
Emanuela Ingusci: I speak these one we did my students in the master because a disability work as a resource, as opposed to give that fact that on a practical joke crafting.
Emanuela Ingusci: behavior so and the owner, the extra day or so these impactor leads to work engagement to job performance to life satisfaction, so it leads to a better quality of life at work and in the family.
Emanuela Ingusci: Is we have a different perspective of disability know not only as a need that needed now, but as a resource resource.
Emanuela Ingusci: which we can increase for job performance and also for productive productivity, this is academic contribution now I really ashamed, I tried to to do a little video about it would practically NICO NICO NICO canfora he is a professional social worker professional educator.
Emanuela Ingusci: he's a father or ltc key and a here at ambition, a dreamer he speaks about a dream of a project.
Emanuela Ingusci: He founded the rest Toronto now pizzeria pizzeria a restaurant.
Emanuela Ingusci: In which, in a prepared pizza men aged by autistic people who are training to do it, so I try to share the video.
Emanuela Ingusci: well.
Emanuela Ingusci: Thank you very much.
Emanuela Ingusci: I hope it was interesting going from academic color to practical implication in Italy.
Emanuela Ingusci: suggests, and the comments have welcome Thank you.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: activating the old Thank you Manuel I thank you for this presentation.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: I think is very important goals of academic.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: encountering companies, so our research, need to be with companies, we need to feel these academic practitioner gap, but.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: So appreciate also this case of disability manager of a restaurant or a pizzeria that is very typical of the Italian culture and.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Also, is very important to change our mindset as an idiom varga reporter disabilities, a business imperative and also, I like your framework of research that consider disability.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Like a resource so actually is very interesting these new aspect.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: that the positive side of disability, need to be stress and also universities have to do this.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: They need to start thinking new way, a new ways and they need to focus on positive aspects of research.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: So thank you again Manuela and now ball being Professor Nicola more to they said for associate professor of professional Madison University of Florence your answer, so we need also they have professional Dr based perspective.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Both in academia and the companies so Professor mochi ways, you can have your toll.
Nicola Mucci: And Gabriella and thanks so to Medina these invitation.
Nicola Mucci: As we know, we live in a complex fast the end the dynamic era.
Nicola Mucci: Here any context, so not just the work environments is characterized by a multitude of the social, cultural and the individual subjectivity is in clothing, for example, gender, age Atlantic region, disability, sexual orientation, personality characteristics cognitive stites.
Nicola Mucci: Integration religion, etc, therefore, not only from form of disability in the strict sense.
Nicola Mucci: Our society is therefore characterized.
Nicola Mucci: By into individual differences which are increasingly evident in this society and, in particular in the workplace, however, a whole hour newness of this issue has not yet been achieved.
Nicola Mucci: As well as they need the.
Nicola Mucci: To promote the general concept of inclusion of diversity.
Nicola Mucci: So why do we deal with compassion and disability management.
Nicola Mucci: What a good that apply that to any form of discrimination would be an acceptable bought from my leg Allah and from an ethical point of view.
Nicola Mucci: But, so I moved the heavens read that.
Nicola Mucci: In a simplistic and perhaps also in an MC waiting.
Nicola Mucci: fact that we are professionals for the protection of health and safety in the workplace and, as such, we must overcome the conception misconception by.
Nicola Mucci: filming a process of cultural and organizational change in which the differences of groups and people are not a source of discrimination, but an object of attention listening and opportunity.
Nicola Mucci: Since.
Nicola Mucci: Its beginning in the late 1980s a disability management more than it's ever been developed by the name of the matching the productive the interests of the company with the needs of.
Nicola Mucci: disabled or seek workers to find a job that satisfies them, not only in economic terms, but also on a human and social level, this is difficult literature show that this is a possible and the concrete, the goal.
Nicola Mucci: In this lie the disability management intend to offer a supporter, to employees suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities to optimize the professional performance limiting the negative effects of the disease on their TV through at global multidisciplinary and progressive approach.
Nicola Mucci: The concept of a multidisciplinary approach is of utmost importance.
Nicola Mucci: Disability management as ethical it's hard they believe that work is central to all of our lives that individuals society, employers and governments all value work and want to have all of their colleagues, friends and citizens gainfully employed.
Nicola Mucci: For a correct approach to this topic, I remind and I remind the first of all to myself that disability is not the problem, but the status.
Nicola Mucci: That, in order to be management as a status and and not as a problem at the requirements they push the possession of the specific knowledge and skills.
Nicola Mucci: In MMA in multiple files have done medical my one so for logical you've been psychological technological and could pray that once.
Nicola Mucci: In fact, the only through the recognition of an obstacle is possible to conceive it as a three shoulder more than a limiter and to develop.
Nicola Mucci: An intelligent approach are constructive approach, starting from a critical point of view and take advantage of our strategy and the practice management of events.
Nicola Mucci: Disability management that can be defined as the as a systematic and the constructive mantle to ensure jumper attention and job great integration in a competitive employment, the for individuals with disabilities, both temporary or permanent.
Nicola Mucci: Through a series of diversified and individual license fetzer disability management strategies health workers to prevent the disease and disability stay at work or a tour after analysis.
Nicola Mucci: As quickly and safely as possible, this is our conscious conscious or which.
Nicola Mucci: We, the later.
Nicola Mucci: Despite the of the definitions of disability management.
Nicola Mucci: Still today, people are confused by what.
Nicola Mucci: Disability manage them and the ease and the REPS more importantly.
Nicola Mucci: By what the the six to achieve and also what the tessa income week the such concepts as a workplace health surveillance workplace health promotion or workplace health management.
Nicola Mucci: literature shows as a consensus about the standard.
Nicola Mucci: Disability management components is still nourished.
Nicola Mucci: By the way, our school of Florence believes that the presence.
Nicola Mucci: Of the variables that influence productivity is indispensable.
Nicola Mucci: And the which are the variables that may influence the productivity de de Sus the inability of accompanied by a percentage disability chronic disease and very important workforce, it is.
Nicola Mucci: Today, most of the interventions of disability management.
Nicola Mucci: are related to return to work programs for employees return to work following a disappearing event or a serious.
Nicola Mucci: Serious.
Nicola Mucci: illness, this is a reinforce the concept that that the disability management is Steve today connected, the more we took the response of a romantic situation than to a preventive and proactive action.
Nicola Mucci: We should be thinking about these issues in advance and the valuable things developing policies and procedures for the rest of them.
Nicola Mucci: A clear example of this kind of attitude is that too we don't the way to build and hospital until after people are sick, this is.
Nicola Mucci: consolidate the concept that in health care management and the pandemic has provided a very important lesson in visiting.
Nicola Mucci: Professor georgie in the introduction of my interventions.
Nicola Mucci: refers to the economy aspects of a disability management interface, and this is the proper way to talk with companies about the importance of the stock.
Nicola Mucci: But the economic evaluation of the disability management program is not so frequently reported in the literature.
Nicola Mucci: At the return of investment and the saving value in the industry related absences and even more the recovery value of the worker productivity represent the effective sides of the impact of death disability management program can have on a company.
Nicola Mucci: And this is especially in the light of the particularly low end advantages investment cost.
Nicola Mucci: compared the two.
Nicola Mucci: Preventive and as we told a few minutes ago a proactive approach to early indication it's evident that ELISE approach, such as the one activated the exclusively by reporting longer.
Nicola Mucci: Periods of the opposite support for work does not allow any risk prevention and minimization intervention, unfortunately.
Nicola Mucci: Very often the programs describe the heat after they find us to define it does preventive in practice apply that during illness related absences and the not in the previous face.
Nicola Mucci: Please remember the metaphor of the hospital.
Nicola Mucci: let's look at the Italy and i'm going to take a pleasure it's either is I account three which the 80% the more day he passes of the market that is made up of small, medium enterprises.
Nicola Mucci: And so, as a consequence, they a more robust experience of disability management are therefore limited the.
Nicola Mucci: And the concentrated the 1100 companies, they have a disability manager, they have often the disability manager, it is a figure who plays the role of interface of the facilitator in the.
Nicola Mucci: conciliation between.
Nicola Mucci: Company needs, and also the company social responsibility, objectives and this figure has also positive effects in terms of image it is figure.
Nicola Mucci: define it by little button not still mandatory for companies have.
Nicola Mucci: disfigure.
Nicola Mucci: can be entered both internal or external, the company and must be able to prevent the the elements of the deterioration between them, the company and the worker basis the on the professional impersonal history of each results, so it is the tailoring strongly tailored approach.
Nicola Mucci: and
Nicola Mucci: He or she has the mission to outline the session and strategic conditions to offer a matter of profitable intervention for both of the parts.
Nicola Mucci: It is like to say a when doing approach.
Nicola Mucci: In conclusion, the management of the stability in the workplace is still a little studied the Bible search, but it represents a very topical team, because in carving disabled workers means recovering preachers skills income capacity and social well being.
Nicola Mucci: Disability management is so the S word at the company level, which must be combined with the serious of targeted interventions in government policies in a in Europe and around the world, thank you.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Thank you all, thank you for these inspiring presentation, I like your approach I like your definition of disability as a status now like.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: healing so like something that actually a lot of people think about visibility so So you see, that is very important that the doctor not.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: A professional doctor say these things that is involved, also in this topic that is that has this sensitivity, but this sometime is lacking, and of course.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: The UK shown a university education university star so so with these thinking, there is a way of thinking, so thank you again Nicola, then there are some question for you, so we will be back.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: To the University of Florida, and so now we are going bro to Sevilla very hot Seville in these days, I guess, with Professor doesn't Mary Ellen bad it's.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Just an idea, you can have your call Thank you.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Thank you, thank you very much, I guess you can't hear me correctly, thank you very much, and every la and thank you, of course, Nadine for for the invitation to participate in the session, yes, from Seville wants to deal.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: With the climate change and everything anyway so let's focus on on the topic and I think I will I will renew so it with my talking or two to keep the time so it's my pleasure to stay here together and sharing the space to talk about an important relevant topic.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: So social psychologist and university professor i'm really interested in this topic and and how social movements right the voice of minorities know.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: and move forward people institutions and organizations to have more inclusive societies and for achieving this goal, which now is in line with the united.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: United Nations sustainable development goals or the 2030 agenda, it is clear that the university the academia place a important role, we have seen during the last year, the development of educational approach.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Such an inclusive education or the universal design for learning udl programs, and so on, and we have seen that the President of a students with disabilities in the university classrooms you think is an increasing reality i'm going to well, I will like to share with you some data from.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: San Diego before the call with data from 2018 that shows that i'm older population here in Spain, no wonder population between 18 and 34 years old people with.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: civility represent the 2.8% okay if we translate that into the university, no more license the range of a period of the year, then that people use.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: to study at the University, you know between 1820 songs in here we include we don't have data at the national level, but also we include under 34 years old.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: If we counted that 2.8% of people.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Of the population.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: have some disability week she'll translate that at the university level, and we should.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: have more or less similar presentation, however, I do university people with disability represents only 1.5%.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: I will come back to this.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Later on, in terms of employability and we have that only one out of two or 510 which means almost 50% of the people.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: with disability between 25 and 44 years old hatha yoga so we have with this data we have two pictures know from this data on the studious on inclusive education, higher education.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: which are still limited, we can identify that there are at least two important barriers that hindered academic and the social development in both the university and employment settings of people with disabilities.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: In other words, these data to yes, there are barriers to start studying at the university and, of course, and we have seen before, there are barriers to start working in the European market.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: i'm going to focus on the berries have to start studying at the university and and how the university is managing.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: The inclusion of people with disability, I will try to show or to highlight some good practices are different levels.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: As well more some tips to promoting close it higher education, based on empirical evidence that we have maybe it's quite obvious, but we have a steeler lack of research on these topics and.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Of course, therefore, we need more more established and i'm going to focus on differentiation to employment on the good money your practices, because my colleagues in the session how he was doing it very well in the sense.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: So.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: What are the main barriers that people with disability have to face when they enter the university when.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Well, at a university level or at the Faculty lip.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Well, one of the main on most important issues to.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: successfully.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Having an inclusive education at the university level is having clear procedures and support services and world trying to train it stuff that for sure.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Here, for example, the diversity of surreal they're designing a specific unit and specific service to support students with disabilities.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: They provide resources to student, including information about grounds fellowships how to adopt materials or even accommodation, how to find.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Accommodation in the city that is a while that is added to the realities and so on, but also they provide support to teachers and Professor on how to adapt to their sea levels their materials in even the teaching method.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: So I think this is quite crucial and and all the little points out that is quite important to have these specific services is a specific units.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: With people that are know how.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: How to add up all these sea level something's even had English disabilities program to promote working grisham.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Basically supplemental tries to provide internships and companies, we know that working experiences, important to do provide for your body but i'm going to talk about this.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: As i'm going to focus more on on teaching or hybrid integration so Okay, so of course there is also one thing students with disabilities really complained that's when universities.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: In some universities, they said or large quantity of physical interested to our special baris no.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Well that's Another issue is important for sure how to adapt across rooms, how to eliminate all these infested rebellious and so, in order to provide a more inclusive education and success.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: In that sense, more problematic is.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: For me as a Social psychology it is that the people with disability easily identify salsa partners, there are some pretty great you guys and some discrimination to our work disability.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: I usually they feel.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Some fear of rejection by others, or some frustration it ascends know so it's important also to promote our experimenting.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: With the whole university community so in order to reduce all these stereotypes and and provide discrimination, I will come back with with decision later so basically as well, Marina and.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Your tea concluded after conducting a systematic review of 18 sally's okay keep in mind that this study is quite recently was published this year in 2022 uncovers all the studies published in the last 10 years now, so well, we only have eating studies that.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: provide the factors that predict success in creating these inclusive universities.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: As the same as they said, in addition to some general factor that people may have, of course, for any recipe to be inclusive, we have to offer services in the life accommodation accommodations and qualified faculty in order to meet the needs of the distance of the students.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: In that sense, how to have qualified faculty members.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: For sure in the services, you can have a higher is qualified people, but what about the faculty members.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: web the university members their professors usually report on announcer when they are asked about interested in education, what do we really do.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: To promote these in inclusive education so easily what we found is that they show a lack of information and train in relation to the needs of the students with disabilities.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: And also, they report that they have lack of knowledge about inclusive practices and the roots of these solutions where they work, so how to promote these inclusive practices in the teaching material using the daily daily work.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: But we have something positive nolan, and this is that the faculty members usually are willing to make teaching adjustments even even fault.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Sometimes implies some extra work that is not a knowledge but university so here, there are two key points here, no, we need to train people, and we need to write nice awareness in order to provide more.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: more supportive stuff.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: We got an awareness thing is also interesting study conducted by another marine she interviewed with several faculty stuffing training program to promote inclusive education at the university.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: And it's interesting to know how the definition.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: They provide about disability, before starting to training, after the training so before the train.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Usually the faculty members said that okay disability it's like having a limitation on a deficiency or decreasing Stockholm difficulty or even a problem.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: So very negative Mary baker Eddy for So you can see these historic sites themselves, but after the training the training achieves to to raise awareness and knowledge.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: After the training, the participants realized that disability recites environment and it's putting aside the design initial idea.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: that it was a problem with the person and wouldn't be small in the into the environment, so, then this understood.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: that it was necessary to create an inclusive environment adapted to the characteristic of all students, which you will allow their full participation, this is more in line with Gordon definitions of disability in leading worth of Oliver.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Well 1991 know the social model of disability is nothing more is fundamental and switch away from focusing on the physical or intellectual limitation of particular individuals.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: To the way the physical and social environments in horse limitations open open certain groups are of or categories of people.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: So here, it is important, so to write this awareness in order to create these more inclusive environment, you know, so how to create this.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: inclusive environment so they need to adapt the material and teaching methodologies, including providing us to time for for the tax or the event disarms.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: learning materials in different format, providing the arena materials in different formats and song assistive technology, you know for simple text to speech software on these campaigns.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: and basically in Beijing, what we need is to do things in multiple ways of of the time, I mean, including different teaching activities and practices, this is quite difficult in terms of Protocol requires extra time zone, so we have.
units.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Then, which will happen, which we have experts in that theological things and to provide support to teachers in order to be more inclusive even here at the University of louisville and also that's The second point now.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: This is about more inclusive environments, raising awareness and what about the software component, how to integrate it out or be more inclusive in.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: To the soul of the whole university community so very interesting initiative for simple there are mentoring programs now, this is an interesting and interesting initiative.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: because, basically, what the mentoring program the US is to provide reach a student to match each student with another student hunger course i'm a professor, that is going to support this person who were in the whole process know during the whole academic life.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: well.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: These are saying say.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: yeah just a mega perfect, thank you very much.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: have to finish yeah so.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: yeah which.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: I think is very important because of this final message is also.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: essential for companies.
Jose-Maria Leon-Perez: Exactly.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: The ability education is a mask is now in mass the university, as we reported that the not present station now is a mass for companies where he's becoming a master for companies.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: just say a few question, but the panelists already reply or the chart.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: For Amano Allah.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Just one question why do you think we don't see pizza.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: More pizza do you need that enhance where why we don't see just flesh so.
Emanuela Ingusci: yeah Thank you.
Emanuela Ingusci: Thank you for this.
Emanuela Ingusci: Question interesting in Italy, there are several companies that employ workers with disabilities and food restaurants pizza restaurant without is a good practice practice or which.
Emanuela Ingusci: A scenario, a social network of Facebook and either a international law.
Emanuela Ingusci: To time.
Emanuela Ingusci: But there are many restaurants and white stuff for without his must down syndrome or deafness.
Emanuela Ingusci: Then particular have a deep each restaurant is that human resource management base very much attention to every detail, probably restaurants, a bit serious attack foods and ostrich food the part of the Italian culture now as a stage, like a real estate and.
Emanuela Ingusci: Knowing how to cook not to manipulate food, there is a part of an occupational activities that children with disabilities learn to become independent, but to learn at simple procedures that started from a goal to a concrete productive and that these is important for independence.
Emanuela Ingusci: They are called the occupational activities and are in their therapists occupational therapists but it's also a wedding before them, so I think this is a can be one of.
Emanuela Ingusci: reasons to know, because then we see restaurants materials.
Emanuela Ingusci: And I didn't say me a suggestion I was thinking it changes in the master.
Emanuela Ingusci: About a benchmark or in Italy of all these company, it can be interesting to know too to to see what happens in that sector Allah professional sectors and the share with the company and the category association I.
Emanuela Ingusci: think you.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: Yes, absolutely so time is running, I think we, we have to challenge we saw a lot of best practice.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: is important research, but I would like to say, also as important now that academia is paying more attention to disability disability actual results, a business because I just Maria said, we have a lot of students with disabilities.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: I conclude, maybe with the the sentence that I wrote, which I think is very is very important note saw companies now need to start to educate.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: People.
prof Gabriele Giorgi: with disabilities, so I think this is very important, and maybe universities open arrow is opening gavel, now we must start the disability education in the workplace.
Nadine Vogel: Well, thank you, oh my gosh this was amazing I could have had you guys talking for hours.
Nadine Vogel: And as you probably saw we had a lot of comments and questions that came in so so thank you for answering them for everyone, while you were while you were speaking.
Nadine Vogel: I think, out of all of the comments, the one that just really struck with me and i'm going to steal this line from Nicola is.
Nadine Vogel: The disability is not a problem, it is a status, I love that I think that that is just makes it makes the whole concept so clear right so whether we're a college or university student.
Nadine Vogel: or we're an employee or a customer it's a status, and I think that we need to elevate that status going forward so thank you all so very much and event I think i'll turn it back over to.
I Lopez: q&a Dean, and thank you, Professor gravity la talk to Georgia and Manuela Nicola and Jose it was a fantastic presentation I love the stats and how important it is again to break those barriers from university and move everyone into a working status, thank you.
I Lopez: Thank you, and now, thank you and now we're moving into our work force session and coming to the stage is chief dni officer for birla group to lita Ramos Ericsson joining her is diversity and inclusion service manager for credit agricole Italia prasanna muscle Robbie.
I Lopez: brand Ambassador dni for celtics hub is daniella Cola.
I Lopez: And joining them his head of disability management and Vice President for UniCredit Bank Austria Christian tinkle.
I Lopez: Welcome everybody.
I Lopez: It was a second just to get everybody on stage.
I Lopez: Toledo, there you go Christian good to see you.
Christian Schinko: Hello good morning.
Good morning.
I Lopez: Thank you for being on.
I Lopez: Who am I missing Christina.
I Lopez: yeah.
Talita Erickson (she/her): There, she is.
I Lopez: Beautiful to leave us all yours.
I Lopez: hi good morning.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: morning everybody.
Talita Erickson (she/her): and good morning bongiorno thanks everyone for for having us and it's a it's really an honor and delete Ramos eric's and i'm the chief data officer for buddy law.
Talita Erickson (she/her): and very proud, not only to host this event springboard but also to be here on the stage with an amazing panel.
Talita Erickson (she/her): As Yvette already mentioned the knee elbow sauna in Christian are going to share with us some of the initiatives that lead their companies to win an award this year.
Talita Erickson (she/her): From from visibility matters and before we get started, I want to make sure that I give some space here for each of them.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Introduce themselves and also share a little bit of the reasons why they're passionate about the topic of disabilities, so any order here so rosanna maybe you go first.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Yes, yes, they can, can you hear me.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: I can stop Okay, and I must say i'm very, very lucky, because now, I have the best work in the world, I could say happy helping people.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: deities and fulfilled in the workplace, so I did I came in I started as a lawyer and then continued in consultancy and I think that every a consultancy also always in Labor law matters, and then I worked with a, you know as a regional relations manager involved the phone and then.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: As I was a manager in in this group in this banking group, but I think that every step as brought me to do this to do this possibility, I would say to this.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: As this dream come true, because now, I really have the possibility, in a big company to help people fulfill and so that's why i'm so passionate about disability matters because i'm.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Sure, and I can feel it every day that we can make a difference in people's lives so it's.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: I mean, who wouldn't love it.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, thank you for your intro Christian.
Christian Schinko: Thank you for the intro and thank you again for having me here to read another beer back again in 2018, we want a work place of work and I had the opportunity to introduce our masha Allah.
Christian Schinko: Our efforts disability management and inclusion also affects them.
Christian Schinko: Yes, 2000 I wasn't integration management in Austria.
Christian Schinko: Buying banks acquisitions in Eastern Europe, it was the first step into diversity, for me, and then I went along to marketing and communications.
Christian Schinko: Stick to communications for the board and then come to us for years ago I was asked to take over the head of disability management association.
Christian Schinko: Together with a colleague tanya joining us as an attendee today and, yes, it's we heard a lot in the last panel and it's all about life it's all about wealthy and for us as unique helping Austria as a.
Christian Schinko: Hopefully, good corporate citizen citizen, it is a matter of economic success it's both social responsibility and economic success.
Christian Schinko: And just two words Europe and Australia is one of the largest banks in Austria and part of integrated in Italy, you look at with over 15 million.
Christian Schinko: customers with her, and we are in this topic in Austria for over 10 years now, so we do inclusion of accessibility was all those all aspects of Trolls or whatever you name it.
Christian Schinko: and have a have gathered experience in this field and i'm eager to tell you something about it today.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, Christian linearly.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Thank you very much, thank you very much been first of all, sorry my bad English.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: I am hearing the payment of the early childhood and they found that the JEREMY doing 2013 the first online platform for jobs section searching.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: And selection exclusively for people with disabilities in 2020 the company was acquired by open job, it is the only employment agency listed on the Italian stock exchange my own.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: which took shape for my disability is today expanding it to us all around diversity and inclusion I graduated in political science and I obtained to pasta graduated facilities right and inclusive for people with disabilities and disability manager and the world of work, thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you all this is very exciting I am obviously very passionate about this topic, because as a company I get to talk to our employees.
Talita Erickson (she/her): who have disabilities, whether they're visible or invisible and and some of the the stories I hear and the the challenges I see they face.
Talita Erickson (she/her): In, especially with invisible disabilities and sharing some of these things, with all the stigma and in.
Talita Erickson (she/her): In fear, so I think i'm obviously very passionate about this in the workplace and also very passionate because I have several people in my family who, having visible disabilities, so I feel.
Talita Erickson (she/her): That there's I think rosanna said is wonderful to be able to have a positive impact in people's lives and it's the most wonderful part of this work.
Talita Erickson (she/her): So, having said that, thank you for introductions we're going to dive in into the the questions in the in the preparation, I think we talked a lot about the.
Talita Erickson (she/her): The topic of this panel which is workforce, which is about kpis metrics bringing in talent, making sure that you're tracking how the talent, is doing and so i'll start with a question which is.
Talita Erickson (she/her): very relevant I think in the, especially in the European context where several markets actually have laws around potus so pros and cons.
Talita Erickson (she/her): of quarters, what is your opinion on whether quotas are again the pros and cons of having.
Talita Erickson (she/her): quarters for people with disabilities so we'll start with rosanna.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Yes, sure thanks silly that and, yes, you're right to decide who is very strict and I are in quotes as some specific social group one of them being.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: People with disabilities, who must be presented, that as at least that 7% of the workforce which for our company of our size, the means 900 people, which is the size of a medium company so it's a big impact.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: On on on how the hiring process, for example, and then Additionally, it is required a full compliance to this role, if you want to participate in public tender and that's what we do every day so.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: As you can imagine it's a job that requires a full commitment at every day of the path we do think that is positive because, as that, as it, as it happens that in other in other situation for other types of porter's Lacey and the broad is that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: What can be seen as an input in position that is for a company like us that strongly believes that diversification of the workforce is really important, and.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: In every aspect of culture and often so acceptance culture let's say and in and, as we believe that the uniqueness, the The fact of.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Saying that everyone is unique and everyone can bring value to the company and, in this case that having this water helps you to have a very diverse workforce.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: And that's the same thing that happens for female boss I, in a way, not that it's our is we are pushed her to be different in in our team in a way.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Another important aspect to for us is that we have to follow the fact that that our clients are diverse in a you know way in multiple ways that would, I would say, and so this this cannot be.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Forget and so that's the pro it does push you to have a very different sector Award for us.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Because we if you believe that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Every everyone's unique is fundamental for the for being a sustainable company and that's that's why it is so important to have both but, obviously.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: constitute and the main one, I think that is the one that the mirror is providing quarters, is that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: that you have a short time for very strict times votes well for hiring That means that they might impose a faster processor that can in some ways.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: shorten and diminish the care and attention that every manager every line manager and every HR manager and the sourcing manager should have that Nice firing people.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Even if they don't have disabilities, we punish me must have a Karen and sanction that sometimes that is shorts lot.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: In a way, can affect her, I would say so.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: it's a it's our tasks every day to be able to make a good match between.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: The.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: capabilities let's say the skills of people and the need of the line manager and organization.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: The other one the other one big risk is the one you mentioned before, to Lisa the stigma stigma on people are being hired because we have to which is not true because, yes, we have to, but we choose to.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To to have a specific and dedicated the Irish processor we're that different companies and that helps us in this process in order to.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: hire people with disabilities, that could have the same possibility of development of Korea that people without disability, because they you, you do have.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To offer not only a job with a profession and so to everyone, so this is the, this is the risk, how you manage every day, but this is there is, you cannot easily.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: managed in a way, yes and overcome.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank.
You.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Kristen anything you would add.
Christian Schinko: Yes, possibly.
Christian Schinko: Two figures we have.
Christian Schinko: 22% of the companies in Austria to fulfill the quota so it's it's very low low figure and.
Christian Schinko: In this respect I would regard the folder as a pro for for companies who are not on the way already to be an inclusive company so it's a it's a it's a pressure that's necessary I guess yeah.
Christian Schinko: On the other hand, we as as you look at my Casa.
Christian Schinko: to fulfill this quarter, also from an economic point of view, if we would not hire any disabled colleague.
Christian Schinko: We would have to pay for approximately a million of Europe it's yeah it just costs it's not fulfilling the flora it's also an economic thing but.
Christian Schinko: They can is.
Christian Schinko: That.
Christian Schinko: it's it has so many advantages to hire people with disabilities, not only the hiring process, but also that the globe disclosure process of existing employees with the whole topic of stigma.
Christian Schinko: Its.
Christian Schinko: Companies will have in the future be a to be an inclusive company a diverse inclusive company to cope with the crisis ahead and the economic and social change so that's a column every company has to has to do the homework.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, thank you Danielle your thoughts.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Thank you, just a few weeks ago, the Italian Minister of disability expressive Dallas that the mandate to a quarter is still the best way to achieve full employment inclusion.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: At the German to we launched our manifesto, two years ago in 2019 which, among other things, coordinator for a gradual abrogation of this requirement, along with other measures, including widespread availability of reasonable accommodation until effective and.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Anti discrimination legislation, in our opinion, it is not the primitive to start thinking about the end of this obligation to favor of a time in which the company in candidates will be able to make mutual mutual shows.
Talita Erickson (she/her): honking and you know at very low, we talked a lot about.
Talita Erickson (she/her): reframing you know from quotas and we use the word targets because I think the the reaction people have to call it, as is thinking that their own fair or arbitrary.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And targets they think you know our CEO always talks about how targets are gifts, so when he tells you a business manager you needs to grow revenues in this market by 5%.
Talita Erickson (she/her): It is more a challenge of finding ways to get there and and then you may get there may not get there, but at least you have a vision of where you want to be.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And so we talked a lot about that around targets in in on the stigma piece what we had somebody who was on our diversity and inclusion board as an advisor.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And, and she advises that the best thing to confront Stigma is having bringing in diversity and having people be successful, and the more people are successful over time.
Talita Erickson (she/her): The more people start saying they were hired because they're a woman, because they're gay because they have a disability.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And it becomes more of the of the way of doing things, but it is definitely a difficult topic and in super interesting because, when they are imposed by law.
Talita Erickson (she/her): It makes it easier in one hand because you, you know you have to do it, but if you have a lot of implications, to manage in all of you talked about it very well.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And before we go to the next question, we have a short video from credit agricole that we would like to show you that would you please keep in the video.
I Lopez: yeah door give me a moment just to bring it up.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Yes, and then this means, I will say it's a it's a project of social inclusion now for people with disabilities and it makes a wealth measure with.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: The social inclusion, thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, and while we're waiting for the video, there was a comment in the in the Q amp a about that you know people saying I would not understand.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Why a company would would rather pay a fine then hire talented people and everybody has suggestions on how to get people to think about this differently and.
Talita Erickson (she/her): I i'll see if anybody else has anything to to to add here, I think the best suggestion I can give you I think Nadine uses the word mainstreaming.
Talita Erickson (she/her): find ways to get people exposed to people who are different, and if you are in a very homogeneous work environment get people to volunteer get people to attend events.
Talita Erickson (she/her): You need to get comfortable with people with disabilities, with people with different gender people with a different sexual orientation, gender identity.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And the more you do that, the more people open their minds that there's this world of talent out there and that you don't have to all be kind of the same.
Talita Erickson (she/her): let's show the video.
11 various really valid project, he said, one for measure for our colleagues have it by the company to improve their working life balance, but it is also been conceived.
As a program supporting, particularly for giant people we usually face for employability chances, the path takes place among our company, the regional employment agency in pharma and the locker Cooper.
The letter and those the hiring and management process of applicants with mental health conditions and universities.
Training them on different jobs, even if they do not have specific experiences we started in 2020 you are now operating in three different cities.
bama Milan and kitchens, additionally, the laundry service is sustainable for the environment, thanks to the use of ecological products.
And as you say, savings and then additional secondhand clothing collection so indeed once a month the colleagues can donate governments.
That will be distributed to families in need by a local charity environment or partly sold as second and close by the same association, but most of all, this is a tangible sign of inclusion and sustainability from.
a sign of attachment for the people of our community and for the environment.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Thank you.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: anytime highly rated service from our fleet so it's a big success, so I would say is.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: This is one of the of the way we, we have to collaborate with the employment agency locally and outside it to meet for us, but also to do very beautiful in in inclusion social inclusion projects.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, no, thank you for sharing this wonderful initiative and any other thoughts on the on the question around, how would you get your colleagues, or the leaders in your organization to.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Think about people with disabilities as talent, as opposed to you know the willing to be a fine not to have to deal with this any other thoughts on what your companies are doing.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: This was, I was trying to say before we spend a lot, a lot of time CAP attention money, I was so with with these other with a.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: company that helps us to bring in people who can have the possibility of being a success story, in the end, then, as you said that perfectly exposing them making people know their value, know that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: They can be really, really important for the company So yes, I completely.
Talita Erickson (she/her): fully agree, thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you Okay, so any other.
Christian Schinko: time I may add.
Christian Schinko: We have around about 50% of people with disabilities in in Austria and that's a huge potential from day one giant.
Christian Schinko: As as talented candidates, but also as customers and like i'm not able to serve my customers right if I do not understand the rules in daily life daily life or in which the police chief I have the knowledge, not in House so that's one another economic perspective, what y Tu.
Christian Schinko: Tu Tu like people with disabilities.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And with that i'll go to the second question that we have prepared so, how does your organization define disabilities is it by by law by policy any other definition that he used.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And, and then, how do you track it what kind of metrics and kpis does your organization us and in for that question i'm going to start with the nearly.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Thank you 67 is bought a company and an employment agency and deeply affects our perception of disability and how we deal with it.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: It is to that the starting point is the legal obligation, I remember the first question that our clients mass comply with.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: But it is also to that we must deal with two variables that require us to go beyond scholastic condition of the usual kpis on the submit the sharp increase of NBC disabilities and a bogle the new vision of disability given to us by the United Nations Convention.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Disability increasingly for all come from the boundary of safety, education and become the south of the relationship, according to the principle of the ICM model.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Between the disabled person and the surrounding environment, this balance that can change, but in time and in space can lead me to experience the disability condition that changes to out the melody the Cindy numbers are therefore important.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: As they are using the to define actions and finances, but we must not lose sight of this dialectical and then in the relationship when it comes to disability.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, Christian is on anything you would add.
Christian Schinko: If you want.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: You can go Christian I.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: wanted, I will follow.
Christian Schinko: We follow the definition of the law for disabilities, we do record the degree of disability, we do not record the kind of disability because it's subjective data protection.
Christian Schinko: And we work closely together with our.
Christian Schinko: Disabled employee representative who is elected within the from the group of disabled colleagues and he is kind of works council.
Christian Schinko: function.
Christian Schinko: was able to to be.
Christian Schinko: Very close to the to the employees with disabilities, so he has the information about the concrete details and so on, so there is no further recording.
Christian Schinko: Your tutor.
Christian Schinko: For mentioned.
Christian Schinko: Yes.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: So.
So.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Yes, I had that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: I do agree with our daniella said that before and and I would add that we during our inclusion Mansour last November, we fought a lot with with our colleagues to the definition of rms.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: handicapper led by the message that said that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Your disability in a way, is bigger or thinner in a way, he depending on on the workplace and on the on what you find in your workplace, so we started thinking of.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: of what we can do to in a way.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: defined is a beauty in this way, how can, how can we be ready to.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To be able to to be to make this people with disabilities, we discussed our colleagues with disabilities feel really a teaser in our workplace surely there is the.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Architecture barriers that are these kind of things, but what about the stigma, what about the old the other cheek and all the other cultural.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Aspects so that's that's what I would do to add to it is important, because we do have low definition we do have low quarters, we do have lots of low requirements to fulfill but let's start thinking about.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: What it is what it really is because the same thing can can verify a lot.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: If you are, you know, in a in a place that really.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: wants to outdo or not, you can.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: You can see it every day, not only in the workplace.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: yeah.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, it is always a challenge and I think Christian mission privacy is is often one of the biggest barriers on on tracking.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And I think there is a lot of conversations in the diversity and inclusion community about how can governments authorities help because if companies want to do better and.
Talita Erickson (she/her): You know that there has to be.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Some some effort, there we started tracking.
Talita Erickson (she/her): We we do we do something similar around each marketing to jurisdiction.
Talita Erickson (she/her): has its own definition processes I you know loan covert or mental pause or disabilities in the US may not be considered as abilities and other places.
Talita Erickson (she/her): But we found for the first time last year we we implemented something through our diversity and inclusion survey, which is a survey we do with our employees.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Every 18 months two years we we ask questions to all our employees and we put a number of questions there, including.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Using the United Nations definition of disability, so a very broad sentence like do you have any mental or physical condition that makes that restricts or limits of a major activity of life.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And, and then, if the person responded, yes, if the employee responded, yes, then we collect more information about are you open about it at work are you open about it outside work.
Talita Erickson (she/her): To try to capture a little bit of the invisible disabilities as well the survey is managed by an outside party we don't know who the people are it's all anonymous.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Is the way we try to track it without getting into the the discussions around privacy and we're able to at least map that we do have hundreds of employees with disabilities.
Talita Erickson (she/her): In a little over half of them are open about it in the workplace, so at least we have a sense of the work that has to be done, but definitely very, very difficult topic both the definition and tracking.
Talita Erickson (she/her): going to the next topic around best practices on recruiting because, again, this is what we're talking workforce.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Do you have any best practices that you could share with the with the audience here around it could be anything from how do you define you know the jobs define the scope of before are boasting.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Where the pose.
Talita Erickson (she/her): accommodations for interview onboarding anything that you have that even that you've tried or successfully implemented in your organization and for this one will start with Christian.
Christian Schinko: Basically, he focused on an inclusive and recruitment practice to enable seamless hiring for the candidates with disabilities that's our main focus from the HR side, together with us and, together with the representatives of the disabled, colleagues.
Christian Schinko: Then this cooperation is very crucial and.
Key.
Christian Schinko: We do not create jobs, from the beginning on for people with disabilities, but we are searching for skills talents and strength and that brought us to the point that we did our core competencies, are we, we did our core.
Christian Schinko: activities, but we teamed up with a company in Australia called my ability chops it's a platform for disabled people.
Christian Schinko: They have the target groups, they have the experience they a leader in the German speaking area and they helped us to get to this target group to.
Christian Schinko: communicate also and to eliminate fears of discrimination for the possible potential candidates so that's That was a key aspect we had also a marketplace and we have a chapter on offer platform on our website it's accessible it's.
Christian Schinko: also marked mostly with a notice that says applications from people with disabilities expressly welcome, so you have to to remove barriers, you have to.
Christian Schinko: Do and we do it in all all areas from from the customers from the employees and from passive candidates, we we tried to remove barriers to access, our services, our products, our workspace and we.
Christian Schinko: yeah we've been successful, with this.
platform so.
Christian Schinko: I think it's crucial to have a partner on board, on the one hand, not only with the platform, but also the interest groups.
Christian Schinko: The interest groups for people with disabilities take if input were to address where to focus on where to.
Christian Schinko: To the post the.
Christian Schinko: office but we we've been very successful in doing so because we believe, and we, we are convinced that people with disabilities in the right jobs with the right support.
Christian Schinko: Bring 100 more percent of performance and we are here as UniCredit because Jeff but especially as disability management.
Christian Schinko: To build the framework conditions for before for for best performing supplements and and that's the key and also the corporation, as I mentioned in my.
Christian Schinko: In the beginning the correlation between HR disability management and the representative of people with disabilities that's key.
Talita Erickson (she/her): In cal that sounds really good, then he added any your thoughts on this topic.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: um I don't want to repeat.
Because.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Explain explaining the very important things just two points, the first one is, it is not more important my disability, but it is important, the reasonable accommodation, I need this is the focal point.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Second, we have noted in high turnover.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: among people with disabilities and it should not be a surprise, in fact, that this turnover rate is so hi.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: At least according to the secretary of our specialized agency that has found itself above, above all, having to do those wanting to change jobs as compared to those looking for the job because they are unemployed, so my question is, are we ready to think not only to.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Recording but also after what.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: what's the.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Future of.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: The world.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: This is a very important question.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, thank you for your thoughts Wilson anything you would add.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Not not much, I really had Christiana set the the the things that we value more important so setting, as I said, while setting the framework for talent or two and to be.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To add value to the company life and other colleagues and that's really important, but I would also.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: come back to what I just said, though, because you don't know not only yes, we are in classes is important, is important to have a partner, also in the employment agency that not it's a big effort, because they're not know they they're not.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: they're not very they give you hundreds of CDs and you have to contact all of them it's.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: But, but you, you also have the possibility of hiring people with disabilities directly in at universities, for example, and.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: That because now, the big part of our hiring is only young people, so the same thing we we do for people with disabilities, we do for people with disabilities, we go to university and that and try to.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To have the best silence with us as soon as possible, and the other The other thing that then he said very well and the other point that you said very well, is that you have to think about.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: The day after your.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Your hiring so what happens if the agency you're working in that is too far from the bus station what happens, you have to be ready to go.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: And and be and be ready and quicker, otherwise you have the big turnover that I mentioned before, you have to be quick to react and and be able to have accommodations reasonable accommodation as Italian Lou calls it for them, I think these are the main things.
Christian Schinko: I guess it sounds very easy our approach it isn't now it.
Christian Schinko: feels for discrimination, there are fears for stigma for disclosure in the job interview the employer is permitted.
Christian Schinko: not limited or restricted or it's forbidden to to to ask for any disability or illness and then that's good.
Christian Schinko: So there are a lot of hurdles or and and you have to think of the day after, concerning the leadership the management, the management that the direct manager.
Christian Schinko: And to unable to to cope with this disabilities and ability of the able to college now so it's it's a process that goes far beyond the recruitment process, I agree.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Is brings.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Our conversation back to.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: To the fact that there are many, as you said before, to lita there are many colleagues that have disabilities but don't don't don't want to be recognized.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: So this is a This is why this is so important culture change that that I mentioned before, that we're looking for.
Talita Erickson (she/her): In this area.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Because you have to be to feel free to say i've got this disabilities that doesn't affect them my way of working and but.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: I.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: want to be recognized as because I need some.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Some accommodation, because they need some some time for to care for.
Talita Erickson (she/her): That, I think.
Talita Erickson (she/her): That is.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: that's the.
Talita Erickson (she/her): I think it's.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: not going to.
Talita Erickson (she/her): know, one of the things that I hear from my colleagues is the I think we had already a few comments around.
Talita Erickson (she/her): You know awards matter and and they make you feel a certain way, depending on how words are used and and one of the things that I think it's a it's not something that is very popular.
Talita Erickson (she/her): But catalyst, you know, an organization that works in indiana globally, they were talking about you know, instead of talking about accommodation talking about.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Job AIDS, so they were saying the same way, I need glasses and always a need that I need so I can do my job, everybody needs some sort of.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Some sort of aid and to make something that is available to everyone, because one of the things that I heard from my colleagues who are not comfortable.
Talita Erickson (she/her): being open about disabilities is that they don't want to be feeling like they're getting something that other people don't get that there that the company needs to go through some sort of trouble for them.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Then, and I think, in the end we all need something you know there's times when you can't travel for work there's times every single person in the workplace, sometimes need a little bit of help and trying to make this about everyone sometimes helps.
Talita Erickson (she/her): But definitely lots of reasons for people to feel shy or not comfortable talking about it.
Talita Erickson (she/her): and lead oh yeah and I think Nadine just texted me saying that is springboard uses the term productivity tools love it Nadine.
Talita Erickson (she/her): So anything that help people be productive perform well in because, again, sometimes the language around accommodation makes people feel like they're getting some sort of them fair or special help.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Which it's not the case, but it's a it's you know that sometimes people feel this way.
Talita Erickson (she/her): we're getting close to the end, and let me go with the last question is this one of my favorites and I didn't mention this in her opening remarks.
Talita Erickson (she/her): You know, one of the main reasons why people sometimes don't get engaged in in diversity and inclusion efforts is fear is fear of making mistakes so saying the wrong thing of offending someone.
Talita Erickson (she/her): So one of my favorite questions is always like tell me about a mistake because we're we're mainstreaming making mistakes or making a common normal.
Talita Erickson (she/her): To make mistakes so Sarah if each of you could share with me a mistake you've made and what you learn from it so for this one i'll start with rosanna.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: And thank you.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Yes, I would say the biggest mistake is to not asking people what.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: What they want to be called.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: out, they want to be treated what they need in a way, and this is the biggest mistake, you can I, you can do as.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: As a diversity and inclusion manager, but as an employee in general, because.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: It is really it is really language is a powerful.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: it's a powerful mean of inclusion of exclusion and we dedicated a world month the last inclusion month in November was dedicated on language, and this is where.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: All the fears constantly taking away, you always fear of saying the wrong thing, how can I say, for example, Italian, is a tricky language for that, because, for example, you don't have the neutral agenda and that doesn't have a lot and also.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: And, and also we don't have words, for example in USA he the community of little people who we know our to our to our to Paula people.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: But the initial you don't know you simply don't know you and, as you do, for other things that this the easy way that they show way is to ask.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: It and it works for pronounce So do you want to be call with her, she him and he's a pronounce it works for these abilities and work for everything I think and, and this is this is so, this is the most.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Most common I think mistake that we make it not ask and.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: He in.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: In a way open to what what the people.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: In front of you needs and asked you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, the nearly a mistake.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: For sure I love this question.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: I think that the biggest mistake that can be made when talking about disability is to think that you can have all the answers ready.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: It is toward that is divided in many other wards, each with its own peculiarities specific close innovations group, which would be impossible to fully know and master i've always surrounded myself with people who are more capable than me, and although we will make mistake, I made a mistake.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: This is Center Lee the most serious one and i've always done everything to avoid it.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, thank you for sharing Christian.
Christian Schinko: two minor or major mistakes of the first one relates to you're going.
Christian Schinko: To see the accessibility and inclusion as a project project as a final date and it's accomplished know then it's okay for the start first on it, but it's a process and you can't accomplish.
Christian Schinko: Accessibility you can't the Constitution so it's a it's a process, and you have to put your effort sustainable on this topic, the other example is is.
Christian Schinko: Also, from the recruiting process in earlier days we hire them and call a candidate disabilities and all went well and but we forgot to involve the team.
Christian Schinko: The candidate should should work with and there have been biases that have been.
Christian Schinko: thoughts and concerns concerning preferential treatment, as we already mentioned and that's the point it's it's.
Christian Schinko: Equal opportunities and we have to stand for it it's not a preferential situation it's not the situation where we have to help and support, we aim to.
Christian Schinko: establish a framework workplace or work situation where everyone is able to be terminated in his in his and and that's it and if help is needed it's it's to help.
Christian Schinko: Any other would would ask for and not more, and if you have this understanding and this message, also for the team and and, together with the with the message you get the talent, you get a you strengthen your team with this colleague know, then you will.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you i'll share a quick one, I had the you know i'm Brazilian and culturally, we tend to be just looking generally speaking.
Talita Erickson (she/her): We don't have a lot of boundaries, when talking about personal stuff and then, when I moved to the US.
Talita Erickson (she/her): I always found it very hard to to engage with people around health related disabilities, you know, and I remember being in a meeting once.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Where the there was somebody who was working on a project with a with a with the team, and this person disappeared.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And, and then one day I saw I asked somebody else's like where is she and they said oh she's out, you know for some some medical thing in my Brazilian reaction was.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Is she Okay, and the reaction from the people who are again in the American cultural context was like this is not an appropriate conversation for us to have.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And I was like oh my gosh, and so it just kind of learning the at what point you stop talking, you know and at what point it becomes inappropriate to to to keep going.
Talita Erickson (she/her): and culturally it's very, very different so again just navigating that to me was always one of the one of the most challenging things not.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Engaging you things that may be perceived as you're you know gossipy or getting into somebody's personal stuff in so that was my the one I would share, I still struggle with it, but i'm working on it.
Talita Erickson (she/her): We have one question from the audience here that i'll put it to the panelists here to to answer one of the questions that came in, is how do you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Help or how do you try to accommodate people who really need support to be successful, but they will not disclose do you have any ideas, thoughts or or have you encountered the situation to any of you.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: I would say the same thing guy said before you'll have to create the culture background and way the culture.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: In which.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: People can can ask him feel free to ask is the only way, and you have to have a special cat with people who have.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Where the cancer, for example, work, but everyone that is recovering from.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: From beaker illness, because usually they don't want to talk.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: about it anymore so and, as you said before, I share the same problem with boundaries.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: As an Italian and then and then sometimes I asked for them, we have a lot.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: of colleagues of female colleagues at the at the cancer breast cancer and covering and I.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Do point can be recognized and with the status, you will have this and disadvantages and they told me thanks I appreciate it, but I don't want to talk anymore about it anymore, because i'm recovering I just want to forget so, as I said before, disability, is why the huge range of.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: situations and, and so the said before you have to have a passion cat and listen a lot.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: A lot and create.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: A workplace in which you can feel free to ask I think that's and as Christian said before, then you when.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: I.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: Just 10 seconds I think I think you will stand up, I think we have to normalize visibility and it is like a marathon we have, we have to make every day elitist it's very, very important that the little step.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: In the end, we will be able to learn.
Daniele Regolo Seltis Hub: I think this.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Anything else question.
Christian Schinko: yeah maybe it's also about sensitization of of the of the managers to to ask the right questions and to have to the right tools at hand when it comes to a.
Christian Schinko: Restriction of performance push all the for a period, maybe there are subsidies from the social Minister of Social Affairs in Australia, so there are support systems in place.
Christian Schinko: One only has to detect that's the manager and what's the other one has to has to ask and address it, because, if I have a threat of business friction in my performance.
Christian Schinko: i'm.
Christian Schinko: I measured at hundred percent.
Christian Schinko: If I do not address it, so if I can't do 100% and they do not say it that's a problem for me and for the whole team and it's a win, win situation, to support in this respect.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Thank you, I think those are all excellent ideas, the one thing I would add that organizations can do.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Is is have like role models and leadership, I think sometimes one of the things that I see and talking to people, one on one.
Talita Erickson (she/her): And if someone tells me i'm very concerned about sharing that i'm pregnant i'm very concerned to share that I suffer from severe anxiety and whatever they are.
Talita Erickson (she/her): not comfortable sharing, if I have a story about somebody who's successful in the company who's going or has gone through the same thing that usually makes people feel a little more.
Talita Erickson (she/her): at ease and he has to be people who are in leadership.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Because it, you know a lot of times the fear employees have with disclosing is feeling that they're going to have less opportunities or be perceived as somebody who needs a lot of support to perform and.
Talita Erickson (she/her): So, seeing that again the normalizing mainstreaming showing that people are being successful in in overcoming whatever challenges they have, I think that usually.
Talita Erickson (she/her): That usually helps as well, and this was wonderful Thank you so much for your your your transparency for your willingness to share all these information.
Talita Erickson (she/her): Congratulations to you and your organizations for being recognized for the work that you're doing and I think, as many of you mentioned.
Talita Erickson (she/her): it's not a destination you're never done with this work every time you reach a milestone, the bar moves and you keep working it's a process is a journey but thank you for your willingness to share your your challenges and your successes in this journey and congratulations again.
Christian Schinko: Thank you so much.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: Thank you, thanks.
Nadine Vogel: Jeff thanks everybody Thank you to lead it Thank you to everyone that was a fabulous session, you know I always commodity sessions with.
Nadine Vogel: Like a wine right or something that really sticks with me and I think that the to the stick with me from this one the most was.
Nadine Vogel: till you when you said targets are gifts that is really stuck with me and I know that there was some comments about that as well, so I bet and the disability inclusion and it's a process, not a project.
Nadine Vogel: So those two for sure, to thank you all very, very much I think i'll turn it back to that.
Rosanna Maserati Crédit Agricole Italia: But.
I Lopez: Then you.
I Lopez: You work for us panel Thank you Toledo, no sign of the nearly Christian Thank you so much.
I Lopez: And now we're going to have our day one.
I Lopez: keynote presentation this is our very own executive assistant here at springboard consulting she is also a motivational keynote speaker and to the stage we are bringing Gretchen vogel.
Nadine Vogel: And before Gretchen gets started this is needy and again, and I would like to just make a little introduction for Gretchen, if I may, on To me, this is a wonderful treat this is a keynote that I guarantee is going to inspire.
Nadine Vogel: But before I have her come on i'm going to ask you all to do something for me take a moment and close your eyes.
Nadine Vogel: And if you're not Italian you don't come from Italy, you don't live in Italy, imagine for a second you're taking your first trip to Italy.
Nadine Vogel: And you are battling the customs in the language you learn some cool phrases and you plan for about a year for this trip and the day finally comes and you go to the airport and everything's all bustling and excited you board the flight.
Nadine Vogel: it's a great flight when you land the pilot comes on and the pilot says, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Holland.
Nadine Vogel: And if you open your eyes, you say Holland, how can that be, I guy was on a trip to Italy, how did I end up in the wrong country.
Nadine Vogel: And you say well that's okay i'm gonna i'll just stay on i'll go back and i'll go next flight to Italy.
Nadine Vogel: And you're told no i'm sorry you'll never be able to go to Italy you're in Holland and Holland, you must stay and you think well How is that possible I prepared for years, I want to go to Italy, I want to I, this is my trip of a lifetime.
Nadine Vogel: And what you learn is that Holland is actually a beautiful place.
Nadine Vogel: It has windmills, it has tulips you will always grieve for the fact that you couldn't go to Italy, you watch people going to Italy, all the time and they're all laughing and excited.
Nadine Vogel: And you still wish you could go, but what you learn is that, like, I saw how it is a beautiful place and you come to appreciate Holland, for what it is, although different than Italy.
Nadine Vogel: You do come to appreciate it for what it is, and the reason i'm sharing the story with you is there's a poem called welcome to Holland, that was written by Emily Pearl kingsley.
Nadine Vogel: Oh gosh now it's probably about 40 something years ago she wrote this poem winners son was born with severe disabilities and she said that having a child born with a disability is like planning a trip to Italy and waking up in Holland.
Nadine Vogel: And so I wanted to share this all with you because those beautiful windmills and tulips of Holland for me.
Nadine Vogel: relate so beautifully to our keynote speaker to Gretchen and so Gretchen, I would like to formally introduce you to our audience as you heard Gretchen is.
Nadine Vogel: The executive assistant actually to me at springboard but is held many different positions at the company and including serving as a global keynote speaker so with that Gretchen i'm going to turn it over to you.
Gretchen Vogel: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, i'm so excited to be sharing my personal journey for each and every one of you, as you probably read on the agenda, the title of my presentation is expectations tribulations and trials.
Gretchen Vogel: and sharing my story, I hope to change your view about what each of these words me remember the only difference between the word try and try on is that.
Gretchen Vogel: As you can see, by this photo when I was born, I had to be connected to a lot of machines and tubes and going home but nurses to take care of me my dad decided if I was finally coming home, I was going to do and style and Houdini is very hoarse.
Gretchen Vogel: This presentation is all about our expectations Oh, I, as they say in Italian asked about to TV.
Gretchen Vogel: Initially, and employee, it was about my parents expectations eventually my own expectations of what can I do, and hopefully when i'm finished with this presentation your expectations are not only me but anyone with a disability, now have been hannity yeah employee or customer.
Gretchen Vogel: So here was three months old and move and you probably my body didn't realize the left side of my body, you know justin.
Gretchen Vogel: How do on their newborn babies edited you follow you at my eyes, Stephen pacifier or even my own to either no I would not drink from a baby bottle for you and be breastfed they most babies, or I went out to them.
Gretchen Vogel: When the gods are is run into place to me and I.
Gretchen Vogel: Basically, had a hole in my nap Sam who breathe without jumping on my own so either my mom tell the doctors, you will have some my throw someone to Harris.
Gretchen Vogel: Obviously, I never seen that hole in my throat and I never job today no I didn't have host a few times.
Gretchen Vogel: The first three months of my life was in the hospital, as a young living you're hearing it just were very simple newborn babies sent me after three months the dodgers tell my pants I shall not live with them that they should be an institutional live.
Gretchen Vogel: Until my hands with Jeff me hard, it would be for me to die.
Gretchen Vogel: very sad.
Gretchen Vogel: My parents turn to those doctors and said, we are really in our little girl home and since we have highlights, and my parents are gonna die in our House, we were just have to do everything possible to make sure she lives.
Gretchen Vogel: The doctors that my hands were crazy.
Gretchen Vogel: And narrative young man, I was expecting not to jump even though, as well anything, not even my own siva.
Gretchen Vogel: Like even though my entire nervous system was shut down meeting I had no refinances at any time and now wait, I was expecting not good, I.
Gretchen Vogel: Still, my gas to charge you like their cloud in some kind of war and that territory they are in fact it was me.
Gretchen Vogel: I was in physical therapy therapy occupational therapy speech There we have more seminaries terrorism eligible to be successful in my job, which at the time was no seizures no to him and to be around to move some part of my very the body.
Gretchen Vogel: Being has run I was born, without any part of my body now you run a little camera on my can.
Gretchen Vogel: and your own companies these therapies and services, but be like providing reasonable accommodations are reasonable adjustments to help your candidates employees and colleagues be productive and successful.
Gretchen Vogel: I understand that just not always an easy process for the employer and the employee my parents my parents or even for me.
Gretchen Vogel: As you can see, balanced, although my therapy was painful and not what I mean you can belong to put their babies here if any of you are parents i'm sure you would agree.
Gretchen Vogel: So i'm sure these behavioral therapy sessions, you probably can my mom or dad was on me hungry honker me, maybe read a story.
Gretchen Vogel: Well, I was held in my mom jewelry the story she ran the same story each and every day.
Gretchen Vogel: Everyone army down and made me feel better but that's only one reason why she did it.
Gretchen Vogel: The other reason is to motivate me and set me on my own journey around three stations.
Gretchen Vogel: and your husband is you pay people to do their job and pay they pay them, or are they do a really great job, this is what my parents are doing with me.
Gretchen Vogel: In a Nana states we holly pay for performance on good job very good I live I survived.
Gretchen Vogel: and heard john Lennon.
Gretchen Vogel: I was doing better than expected.
Gretchen Vogel: The referring to is a little edgy now.
Gretchen Vogel: This was first published almost 100 years DEMO and has been reprinted in many languages.
Gretchen Vogel: So I hope many of you who are parents are familiar with it, I read this here on children.
Gretchen Vogel: My mom renders me every day and sometimes a few times per day.
Gretchen Vogel: The funny thing was that it wasn't till house, although not serene, then I realized my parents had changed the words event.
Gretchen Vogel: Throughout the world Hello train says, I can't hire him, I think I have hand my parents are ready as saying I know i've had, I know I land and what I want to achieve certain goals they change the words i'm glad to say, I knew, you heard, I am.
Gretchen Vogel: Most people Sammy very similar baby my hands are a terrible place such after occasions on the.
Gretchen Vogel: Other side of Americans rejustify of praise.
Gretchen Vogel: From was there was one of the doctors told them tell me tell me to three hours per week, they did by adding another eight hours, so I had 11 hours of therapy every week.
Gretchen Vogel: After all, more is better right.
Gretchen Vogel: When my parents retold it or it's relevant to learn this route, my time my lips had to remember to move and remember at this point how they move any part of my body my parents were to place my tomatoes on culture and it just from pimples and my lips you're saying i'm gonna start moving.
Gretchen Vogel: It works it's funny because today as an adult I love Pacha pantyhose everything.
Gretchen Vogel: When I can three told i'm having never been able to walk by myself, they placed me and I wouldn't stand with braces and belts and hopes it would help build muscles in my lambs, even if it was interesting.
Gretchen Vogel: The funny thing was that is why my parents Pinto too much therapy a great night bones, and the pickle juice what made me to.
Gretchen Vogel: None of those downtown me.
Gretchen Vogel: and said that age for a man to walk by the health.
Gretchen Vogel: And the hga IBM at the.
Gretchen Vogel: End rolla small amounts of jello my childhood putting a big improvement from careful.
Gretchen Vogel: don't you think.
Gretchen Vogel: Was this easy no way was anything less acceptable no way.
Gretchen Vogel: When I was 12 years old, and he only read it as an hour seven that's one system in a nanny state, please me or the formal education plan, which is what is done for children with disabilities disability.
Gretchen Vogel: Their problem was that the formal education on fan said rotational training your ensemble Samson mean I learned a very simple thing.
Gretchen Vogel: They did not believe that most interesting hearing them now, that is what I wanted to do.
Gretchen Vogel: So my parents demand in the system, wants to change them roles to say I was demoing tomorrow to university.
Gretchen Vogel: You can only imagine how different how the hybridization was.
Gretchen Vogel: There is a lot of yelling but in the end my parents and the strongholds officials some hungry can make the change.
Gretchen Vogel: It was all about Alice when.
Gretchen Vogel: My parents were on teachers to sweat more me they wanted it demanded my parents wanted me to see that they believe and my teachers really that me i'm going to university what's probable so I know it's possible.
Gretchen Vogel: they're always reminding me that I just.
Gretchen Vogel: I know I can I can i'm glad it was easy, though, what was it worth it absolutely.
Gretchen Vogel: i'm glad you're the highest a long time.
Gretchen Vogel: To have my university and to museums and in the fall of 2009 I started a two year for me and.
Gretchen Vogel: Also, known as a junior how.
Gretchen Vogel: My parents made it very clear that just passed in my classes was now I don't.
Gretchen Vogel: know, I was just being satisfied with me and associates or tears.
Gretchen Vogel: So in this room after me my associates to your temporary i'm transferring to a four year university I moved out of my parents home and was a morning and academic scholarship I knew I knew I could.
Gretchen Vogel: here's where you come here part of my story.
Gretchen Vogel: Some years ago, my mom was proudly sharing my story with someone and share my interests at that time working with young children with special needs.
Gretchen Vogel: He immediately referred me to one of his colleagues and then other days.
Gretchen Vogel: I had an interview and was told to bring my resume about my rough skin.
Gretchen Vogel: What was that and how do I let one.
Gretchen Vogel: University help me with this and before I knew it, I was interviewed and hired for a summer internship working with young children, this moon.
Gretchen Vogel: excited but so nervous, because for this job I had to travel on trains for one hour by myself, then travel to the office.
Gretchen Vogel: Before this, I have only what during my time off from school in the summer I don't have counter and I have never taking a train by myself.
Gretchen Vogel: This was the most amazing experience I learned about the wonderful world of music therapy and honest as possible because they'll have expectations, and this is applications where someone who, I never met.
Gretchen Vogel: This was followed by another parallel moment on my life.
Gretchen Vogel: University graduation.
Gretchen Vogel: immediately asked her graduation and other internship.
Gretchen Vogel: This time I financial services information that was located in another State about three hours from my parents home.
Gretchen Vogel: I sent in this musician forced me to manage to for perhaps to live up to arrow and transitions because I actually had to move to another state for four months and live on my own, for the very first time.
Gretchen Vogel: One time when right little auntie.
Gretchen Vogel: And uncle I had hand and I will.
Gretchen Vogel: For the past eight years i've been working for us where my God, I have positions, ranging from managing special projects and moving harmony Dana.
Gretchen Vogel: out now has to my service management event.
Gretchen Vogel: amount of her role as executive assistant to a studio so also happens to be my mom I also serve as a notice to be a trainer hi guys i'm doing here today.
Gretchen Vogel: So my journey continues as to my expectations, if not various quite frankly i'll reach out affectations set for me, but I can tell a racist stage of my life I probably wouldn't be where I am today.
Gretchen Vogel: But I ask each of you to to consider what your expectations are of people disabilities you assume being present how someone looks.
Gretchen Vogel: The way they know hey see here from around physically that they may not be able to meet them quality and safety, productivity and our time standards and read department company.
Gretchen Vogel: Or do you assume that, because of their disability they were not we're not using your product or service and therefore not being customer.
Gretchen Vogel: Remember.
Gretchen Vogel: They need to be sure that we do not randomly placed limitations on pete rose ability before i'm living them the opportunity in front of us wrong.
Gretchen Vogel: it's all about mindset.
Gretchen Vogel: To send your mindset similarly that individuals with disabilities hand and will achieve, perhaps even asking your expectation.
Gretchen Vogel: You are mine Hansen, when you interview someone like this really I assume that heavily as a level and Jen from the book.
Gretchen Vogel: Everyone to believe I know they have hand I know they have.
Gretchen Vogel: This way i'm sure you hire that person and then do a really great job and receive a wonderful performance review, you have at the radisson just like my hands dirty today I knew your head and your heart.
Gretchen Vogel: Thank you.
Nadine Vogel: Question Thank you so much, that is, you know, obviously, as your mom I know your story I know it so well, but it's it's still so important to share with others, we did have a few comments questions come in, while you were talking, so let me read them one was do you live independently today.
Gretchen Vogel: Yes, I learned, on my own, for the past five years and I have a wonderful service dog named combo and here's a picture of him on your summary.
Nadine Vogel: So for all of you watching Coco is is basically my granddaughter since I don't have grandchildren and I spoil them rotten, so to say.
Nadine Vogel: Another question was, I assume, because of coven like many companies springboard you've been working remotely but before that, how did you get to work every day.
Gretchen Vogel: I need to john to work over the years, actually my driver's license when I was 16 years old and.
Gretchen Vogel: This is what some people told me I wasn't going to be able to do here, we.
Gretchen Vogel: have our expectations.
Nadine Vogel: You know it's it's funny because these expectations, you know, for those of you in the audience, you know think how.
Nadine Vogel: If someone hears something over and over again how they made begin to believe it so so if someone is told over and over again you'll never be able to pass the driving test you'll never be able to go to university.
Nadine Vogel: You know, after a while, sometimes people actually believe it, and then they give up on their own expectations and their own dreams so i'm so excited that Gretchen you never did that um okay another question came in what kind of accommodations do you need for work.
Gretchen Vogel: i'm really glad that question was asked, because it shows that if we see someone who, as a visible disability, the assumption is that they must need an accommodation to do their job, personally, I never need a reasonable accommodation or vision or just me.
Nadine Vogel: So here again it's interesting we were talking in this session earlier about you know disclosure and people being comfortable disclosing and, especially, you know if they have an invisible disability.
Nadine Vogel: But we make assumptions, if someone has a visible disability about what we think they may need.
Nadine Vogel: In help and support and obviously we can we can be wrong right good or bad, we certainly can be wrong, and I think it comes back to.
Nadine Vogel: What I think to leader, you may have said earlier, you know, we just need to ask, we need to ask the questions so if someone does say that they have a disability, you know, to ask what is it that you need if anything.
Nadine Vogel: Another another question Gretchen came in.
Nadine Vogel: This one's kind of funny for me as i'm reading it, since you work through your mom's company, do you think the expectations are higher for you, and if you were to work for another company.
Gretchen Vogel: Question while I can't comment on what another company will expect them my performance at this stage of my life, it is what is that for myself, which is pretty darn high.
Nadine Vogel: And there is true and, as you know, as the head of the company that you work, for I will I will vouch for that that.
Nadine Vogel: You know, sometimes, and I think this happens to all of us that sometimes we're our own worst enemies right we put more pressure and more expectations on ourselves, but you know, I think that.
Nadine Vogel: For all of you listening to this that it helps you rethink expectations, it helps you rethink you know we talked about assumptions and bias and unconscious bias.
Nadine Vogel: And, and I think all of those things are illustrated here, because so many times, you know throughout gretchen's life there have been expectations placed.
Nadine Vogel: Sometimes, often wrong or maybe not wrong but limiting and I think that's the challenge when we limit the expectations of someone, not only do we sometimes.
Nadine Vogel: cause them to start rethinking their own expectations but it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
Nadine Vogel: You know when when Gretchen was told you you're never going to be able to pass the driving test you never been able to test driving test well if that you know happened in the end, they would say see I told you so.
Nadine Vogel: And people like to be right, even if it's not the most appropriate that they're going to be right about people do like to be right.
Nadine Vogel: So i'm That was the last question Gretchen so so again, you know, I just want to say that, as your mom you could not make me proud.
Nadine Vogel: And, as your boss, and I could not be more pleased to have you as as a member of the springboard team, and I think for all of you, you know to realize that when you have someone with a disability on the team.
Nadine Vogel: They elevate the entire team it's not just about the project, the job itself what that individual is doing, but rather the contribution to the entire team so Gretchen Thank you again very much.
Nadine Vogel: And I think at this time we're going to turn it back to event.
I Lopez: Thanks thanks Gretchen it was always great to hear your story and to watch you grow into this beautiful woman smart woman and for helping me out.
I Lopez: So thank you so much.
I Lopez: And we're going to a great time of the day, which is our midday lunch break, so please check your local times you have one hour, from the time now that we go on break.
Nadine Vogel: And that I think it's one hour 15 now.
I Lopez: Oh, my apologies, with the time difference Okay, so one hour 15 so just a little longer, which is wonderful.
I Lopez: enjoy your meal and we will see you back in one hour 15 minutes in your local time, thank you.
I Lopez: Well Hello everyone and welcome to the second part of our day and to the stage is going to be our media panel, this is a very creative bunch, as you can see they've created their own slide so.
I Lopez: we're going to bring to the stage filmmaker and film student of the month for university miss Raina Lotus and joining her is actress and screenwriter Lewis Ian Bray.
I Lopez: And also joining them is writer lecturer and ideas person, which was a freelancer is amanda Graham and, finally, Miss Maria Rogers who's get real media, welcome to the stage everyone.
Rayna Lountzis: Thank you.
I Lopez: Everybody.
Make sure everybody.
Get Maria.
I Lopez: No, no worries that's what we're here, for we.
Amanda Graham: just want it just won't do it.
I Lopez: And I hear ya I hear ya I mandatory.
I Lopez: alrighty so Ray This is all yours so take it away.
Rayna Lountzis: Thank you so much, I have some issues with the sound here.
Rayna Lountzis: Can everyone hear me well.
I Lopez: yeah yeah yeah.
Rayna Lountzis: it's very low Okay, no mine.
Rayna Lountzis: will do it.
Rayna Lountzis: Okay, first of all thank you Dean, and the team for inviting us, it is a huge privilege to be here and to be able to discuss this with my fellow peers amanda Maria and Lewis.
Rayna Lountzis: and
Rayna Lountzis: I just feel so grateful to be able, you know to to have this opportunity.
Rayna Lountzis: So today what we will be talking about, we are all based in the UK, first of all, so this is more of a UK based, but I would believe that this applies for Europe and for the whole world the way it goes Okay, so you take whatever you feel it is resonating with you.
Rayna Lountzis: And let's see how it goes Okay, so we will be talking about where are we at at the moment with relation to film industry and persons with disabilities or persons with special abilities that I like to call them.
Rayna Lountzis: Where do we need to be and how do we reach that point.
Rayna Lountzis: So, at the moment i'm currently working on the British academy project which is relating to screenwriters and mental health and disability and how we include all those going forward.
Rayna Lountzis: Now, in the UK.
Rayna Lountzis: Apparently research that was made recently states that 49% of filmmakers behind in front of the camera suffer from mental health or disability.
Rayna Lountzis: And unfortunately they're not not all of them or approaches and would say this to their employer would say this to the producer to the director, so they cannot be.
Rayna Lountzis: supported accordingly, and this is what we're trying to destigmatize here, and this is what we're trying to do to change that to stop that because nobody needs to mask themselves.
Rayna Lountzis: We are here every single one of us with our unique gifts and talents and people with special abilities, I believe, from what I have seen in my personal experiences, they have a different.
Rayna Lountzis: tap into the creativity to the ether than the rest of the world, shall I say, and this is so amazing so we don't need to to mask okay.
Rayna Lountzis: And at the moment how global it goes, and we are, we are in the point where, as a humanity, we are reaching this point where.
Rayna Lountzis: We are more aware of what's going on around us, we are on the body, who has a soul, but a soul that has a body so coming from this deep deep love for oneself seeing the divinity in you, the unique being that you are.
Rayna Lountzis: We are more aware of what's going on around us Okay, and with this point So what can we do then for our fellow human beings, you know how do we accept them.
Rayna Lountzis: And how do we include them in that global change that is happening Okay, so it is really great to see project like.
Rayna Lountzis: The one that i'm working on and other projects with people individuals or companies that they're interested in how we can involve more.
Rayna Lountzis: Everyone it's not just there is work for everyone, there is opportunities for everyone, how do we include and i'm sure at amanda has an amazing story to share in the moment as well with the people that she's working with.
Rayna Lountzis: But yeah how, how do we, how do we reach that so.
Rayna Lountzis: How do we include everyone, and anyone, the first thing that comes to mind this D stigmatizing that mental health and that disability so.
Rayna Lountzis: We accept you as you are.
Rayna Lountzis: With your unique talents and all comes down to self image So how do you see yourself and how do you allow yourself then to shine your light into the world to allow this creativity to flow through you.
Rayna Lountzis: So everyone counts and everyone must have this opportunity to come in and to Seoul what they what they are capable of, and this is where the world goes it doesn't matter.
Rayna Lountzis: Who, you are where you're coming from what's the color of your skin water believe what is your sexuality at all, it doesn't matter.
Rayna Lountzis: But just the true divinity of you, the abundance and the joy that you are, that has something to bring through your creativity in this world.
Rayna Lountzis: And then, how do we reach there, so there are things in place already, that they are set up So how do we basically include this and then in the boys were.
Rayna Lountzis: People who have their special abilities, they have these sometimes that because they're too sensitive.
Rayna Lountzis: They would need that extra help So how do we as human beings going we help them, how do we support those people, so they can have this balance that they need to keep creating the projects that they are creating and and to keep signing their life how, how do we support them.
Rayna Lountzis: So this is just an overview and like a small, you know thing of my own, you know, research and my own.
Rayna Lountzis: belief and value around this i'm extremely passionate about this.
Rayna Lountzis: and inclusion and oneness and unity, because this is the way forward as a humanity or the only be able to survive and to thrive, not only to survive, but to thrive, if we go into this deeper chambers of our heart love ourselves enough.
Rayna Lountzis: So we can then love our human beings our our peers our you know fellow.
Rayna Lountzis: humans and accept them without any judgment, without any criticism, just as they can, as we are so This goes for me personally goes to when you go deeper in your heart when you open the heart and you accept yourself for who you are, then you are able to provide this.
Rayna Lountzis: So this is what I want to say and also excited now to hear stories and absolute authenticity of my.
Rayna Lountzis: Fellow panelists amanda Lewis and Maria and just have like a heartfelt conversation about story that we tell.
Rayna Lountzis: Thank you.
Rayna Lountzis: Okay, so.
Rayna Lountzis: So we have a discussion on where are we are the current situation, and you know the stories that amanda do like to start or.
Amanda Graham: yeah that sounds great um first of all, I just want to say thanks everyone for inviting me Raina and.
Amanda Graham: Everyone I i'm excited here I think what springboard is doing is amazing, and if I can just fan girl for a little second i'm a big fan of guerrilla.
Amanda Graham: i'm excited brutalism the House because they're come keeley a is one of my very favorite pasta so that's all i'm going to say about that, but.
Amanda Graham: When it comes to where we are in terms of like people with disabilities who are working, and I think our biggest challenge and the thing that we need the most off of.
Amanda Graham: People who are disabled, is to trust us in the first place, and I think it's it's interesting because, as an autistic person I.
Amanda Graham: I can understand why people don't trust us and that's because of the representation, you see, on TV and films and and there's this assumption that.
Amanda Graham: If somebody is autistic if they're either like i'm an excellent driver, or you know if they're like in as we see it they're unable to have relationships with people or.
Amanda Graham: Or we can't even cross the street, you know, without freezing or running screaming into traffic, and you know I personally have friends.
Amanda Graham: I know shark right, and I can cross the street just fine i've only been hit by a car once so.
Amanda Graham: You know that's good so we're pretty good as that kind of stuff so, but the big point is because we're not trusted disabled people and people with.
Amanda Graham: Mental health challenges we live in a state of uncertainty, so the way I explain it to people to help kind of show what we're going through is.
Amanda Graham: Imagine being on the Titanic, but it's just in its sinking phase forever and what I mean is, I don't mean that, in a way, you know that, like our.
Amanda Graham: existences are terrible or there that's not what I mean what I mean is that you're stuck in this kind of uncertainty with not knowing kind of.
Amanda Graham: what's going to happen next, and so, then so you're on the Titanic and it's sinking and there's panic and there's whatever else.
Amanda Graham: And then you think you're going to be rescued, so you know you might as a disabled person get a job or like you know, find a group of people who trust you or whatever else and you think you're finally rescued and it's going to be great.
Amanda Graham: And then something goes wrong or they don't understand you or they don't know how to help you, with your needs, and then they go off this is just more trouble than it's worth.
Amanda Graham: And then so it's like they're doing a circle around the Titanic, and then they drop you back off on the deck and that's what it kind of is like all the time for most disabled people.
Amanda Graham: And again i'm not trying to be pessimistic or whatever, this is just the way it is for us so as a disabled person you're forced to kind of do all these extraordinary things to rescue yourself.
Amanda Graham: So you're dealing with like a lack of trust and the kind of constant rejection, but this uncertainty and then you have to figure out what to do to get where it is you need to go right.
Amanda Graham: And then still paying your bills on top of it, so I know a lot of people who go to extraordinary lengths to stay employed or to train themselves or to figure out how to.
Amanda Graham: make the best of their disabilities, one of my favorite stories and it's it's quite a challenge, but a writer, I know, who I got to know a few months ago.
Amanda Graham: is completely paralyzed, and so the way that she writes scripts is that she has to use eye tracking software.
Amanda Graham: That scans where her eyes go on an alpha ties board and that's how she writes 30 page 60 page 90 page scripts.
Amanda Graham: Which if you know anything about script writing it is brutal and hard enough, but to be able to have that kind of focus and that kind of commitment.
Amanda Graham: To do that is I find extraordinary and yet we're having trouble finding her you know help or an employer or.
Amanda Graham: You know, a like a development team that will invest the time in her to do that and I just find that wild because.
Amanda Graham: I know that there's a lot of people in this industry happening at 14 years now, who don't take the time to really put in the work at all, and so to have somebody who's so focused and so dedicated.
Amanda Graham: To what they're doing be overlooked that's a perfect example of what I mean in terms of how difficult it can be so.
Rayna Lountzis: Thank you amanda it's an incredible story, you know it strikes me, every time you speak about it and it's.
Rayna Lountzis: Exactly what we're saying to go to do extra maybe triple time extra the work I would love to have a person like this in my team.
Rayna Lountzis: And that's why the film on that i'm developing as part of my doctoral degree which I have called situational film will be specifically employing actors who have been having history of mental health.
Rayna Lountzis: For this very reason that they work extra hard and there is so much creativity that is going to flow through them and i'm just buzzing like I cannot wait to to work with those people because it's absolutely incredible another point that someone share with me was about masking so.
Rayna Lountzis: So people can accept you a lot of people have to mask so again not to judge or not to criticize you and a lot of people have become very good at masking not only people who are disabled or have mental health, but in general as humanity, so you are accepted, so you fit somewhere.
Rayna Lountzis: But, for me, you know going forward I think Lewis had a very good point last time when we had a conversation about about this didn't you Louis would you like to expand a little bit more on that.
Lewis Ian Bray: yeah, I would like to try and put it a bit plainly at first like do you know when you get up in the morning and you've had a stressful morning and the shower isn't working you know car.
Lewis Ian Bray: needs de icing and you have to go into work and present in front of like 1500 people, and you have to like put on the big smile and do the big sal.
Lewis Ian Bray: Can you imagine doing that every day of your life and so masking for me so i'm artistic and and i'm an actor and and screenwriter myself and basic basically masking to me, and what I would like to see more within the film industry and in the workplace is that and.
Lewis Ian Bray: masking.
Lewis Ian Bray: Is the thing that we do when we're struggling and and as, as has been said, like we we work three times as hard as anybody else, just to be able to.
Lewis Ian Bray: To come into the room so and I think it's important to be able to.
Lewis Ian Bray: Not have to mask in workplaces and be able to.
Lewis Ian Bray: have things like access riders and and spaces to break out and actually that this is no more different than what than what we've already got going on, so if you.
Lewis Ian Bray: go onto a huge film set with a list actors, they have assistance they have people helping them, and these are people without disabilities and.
Lewis Ian Bray: And there is such a fuss made about people who have disabilities and and they need that extra support when we're already giving people that support anyway and.
Lewis Ian Bray: I think it's just a bit of a mental shift and then for somebody like myself who is masking I can then go to production, I can then go to a manager and shop or a business and say hey and.
Lewis Ian Bray: i've got some access needs and here are like several things I need to do, can we work together on how we can.
Lewis Ian Bray: make a bit of a plan of, for example, if I come into work and i'm five minutes late because of what I have going on with my ADHD makes me time blind.
Lewis Ian Bray: Can we have a little bit of leeway for that or if i'm feeling overwhelmed because work is busy, is there a breakout space that I could go and unmask in.
Lewis Ian Bray: And I also am aware of I don't want masking to sound like it's this terrible like.
Lewis Ian Bray: Like joker thing that it's like you paint on a smile and then all of a sudden you're a completely different person actually it's more just revealing your true self and and.
Lewis Ian Bray: Like being able to talk about your anxieties and and all that type of stuff, so I think it's really important for us to have that open dialogue and to be able to get the best out of your autistic workers, you know divergent workers you've disabled workers.
Lewis Ian Bray: Honestly, that the things that we asked for and never usually as big as what people make out and I just think it's important that.
Lewis Ian Bray: We give people a space to be able to unmask and say look Mike what's going on, how can we help you how can we help you be your best and, in turn, you will get your best their best from them.
Lewis Ian Bray: And if you make a bet better product you'll make a better film you'll have a more relaxed person and yeah yeah.
Rayna Lountzis: This is, this is exactly this is a great point exactly just being the authentic you when you peel those conditioning when you peel.
Rayna Lountzis: The perception of who you are or the perception of you know what you have been told lever, I mean this is can go in a different direction say with trauma and like childhood experiences as well.
Rayna Lountzis: And that's probably fits within our felt self image as well as the the special access needs that you're talking about as well, but exactly who are you.
Rayna Lountzis: When you drop everything else down.
Rayna Lountzis: Who are you.
Lewis Ian Bray: i'm yeah that's like the most important thing and that's just like to jump in and say that's the most difficult thing for an autistic person because we.
Lewis Ian Bray: We spend our lives looking to other people to lead us and we'd like to things other people like and then, when people finally ask us what do we like it sometimes takes us a minute so having that space to have a minute to be able to think about things is is really important.
Rayna Lountzis: For you brilliant Thank you Louis Maria would you like to add something on the points that we have that some all notice on authenticity and share a bit of your story as well.
Maria Rogers: yeah Thank you, thank you, Louis.
Maria Rogers: For interest to hear what you were saying yeah I feel same, I mean I mean I have I surges and.
Maria Rogers: And I found that you know I love my work my work is is.
Maria Rogers: I have done some acting myself i'm doing an acting course at the moment with an acting school, who has, I think that the last time you were talking is especially for autistic people.
Maria Rogers: adults and you're allowed to be you and you're allowed to express yourself as you if you want to go out the room five minutes, no one's going to sort of talk behind your back or say anything and.
Maria Rogers: you're accepted, as you are, and you can be who you are, whereas if I say if I was doing another course somewhere, and it was just it wasn't autistic adults.
Maria Rogers: I mean I it would put me under pressure because i'd be thinking, because I got you because you feel different you always feel different and.
Maria Rogers: Like Lewis was saying, you know you you just don't I mean I don't always die 15 so it's just great to be somewhere where I can fitting, but with work as well you know.
Maria Rogers: it's just nice to think that we could be more accepted and that you haven't got to put a mask on you're talking about modesty nervy run and.
Maria Rogers: it's I mean i'm i'm a very, I am very i'm a very highly self conscious person i'm you know and also i'm highly sensitive so things affect me tenfold worse other other people in my knowledge and.
Maria Rogers: And it's your reactions to things in your watch sometimes if you're working on a film set with my makeup or.
Maria Rogers: If i'm going out for an audition or something you know you you do feeling a sense that around you and you just basically want to 15 you just want to be you only and I always find.
Maria Rogers: You know it's a struggle, sometimes.
Maria Rogers: And it's just yeah I think it would be nice to fit in a bit more, and just have more support there.
Maria Rogers: and be aware and say and be proud of yourself and unique because we're all we're all unique and say.
Maria Rogers: Well, actually, I have asperger's or have something else and but the other thing is the other thing I was going to touch on also with i'll take the example of autism in his wife saying we've been talking about, sometimes with autism.
Maria Rogers: Sometimes you, you can tell when a person is autistic or separate person has been more artistic we might show a different way, like for me.
Maria Rogers: I think when people first seem your meet me they think here is autistic you can tell you I don't think I am so so again, this can also be classes what they call a hidden disability.
Maria Rogers: And hidden disability is you know it doesn't make it any easier if it's hidden or not, I can assure you, but at the same time, again, I think that that should be.
Maria Rogers: You know I think we should all be aware in the industry should be aware that.
Maria Rogers: or even a mental health problem, you could have and it's not directly pointing because people can't see that and sometimes actors do come forward and say.
Maria Rogers: They have anxiety conditions or they have they might have autism or something else, even so, it's just nice to be able to be on a platform and say well.
Maria Rogers: i'd like to be free and say that I am this and I have that and i'd like someone to be able to understand that or it's Okay, because you want to feel safe, you want to feel confident in your.
Maria Rogers: In your own right and I think that that would be good for all of us to learn something from this, but to be hopefully more adapted within the film industry.
Maria Rogers: yeah yeah that makes that makes sense.
yeah.
Rayna Lountzis: yeah I think it's perfectly blends with what I was gonna say next as well, a lot of creatives because of the way they are unable to say they haven't been accepted in the world or reach out to addictions, such as alcohol drugs.
Rayna Lountzis: You know, excessive use of food, etc, etc, and again this is something that when we open our hearts and we accept our fellow beings for who they are.
Rayna Lountzis: It all it all comes with this internal work that we do so, we accept ourselves, and this is when the healing process begins as well, like on all levels, not only physical you know mental emotional spiritual as well.
Rayna Lountzis: It is just such an important thing to do.
Rayna Lountzis: And tune into that divine divinity within you the sparkle.
Rayna Lountzis: Rather than just you know playing it on the physical and.
Rayna Lountzis: Leaving your mind to go 24 seven fight or flight.
Amanda Graham: I think that's true, I think I don't know if you, you know, there was some Maria your experiences with the same as autistic people, but what i've had to do because of like the rejection and whatever else is really focus on.
Amanda Graham: What my strengths are and then just figure out Okay, who can I reach who will understand you know what my strengths are so, for instance.
Amanda Graham: I was told being the literal person that I am I was told when I was trying to get into comedy writing nobody would give me a chance right and I was getting really frustrated with it, so I went to a BBC.
Amanda Graham: You know kind of thing they gave a week of talks.
Amanda Graham: And I stood up and I was like what do I have to do to become to show you I am serious about doing this and they were like we'll just do stand up.
Amanda Graham: So I went Okay, so they said, I have to do stand up, so I did two and half years of stand up to get my first break in in comedy writing, and what I ended up doing.
Amanda Graham: Especially after my diagnosis, I read hundreds of books on human nature communication now just to crack how these neurotypical work because I haven't been able to figure it out and that has helped me.
Amanda Graham: Right, you know better, and so it's not only just about communicating with people who are, unlike me but.
Amanda Graham: Using those communication tools to figure out, who has needs that I can meet right that maybe nobody else can, and particularly neurotypical, so I think it's it's such a cliche to say find your tribe, but I do think.
Amanda Graham: That you can find people who, who will work with you know what what you've got to offer it's different from everyone else but the.
Amanda Graham: search for those people can be completely exhausting and often and.
Amanda Graham: You guys know right like it can involve hundreds of rejections and and then you're on like your best behavior.
Amanda Graham: All the time when you find them, you know what I mean cuz you're like I don't want to mess it up and I don't want to you know so and then kick in the masking again but.
Amanda Graham: Sometimes I can't help myself, because you find these great relationships and you don't want to do anything to you know to.
Amanda Graham: To put them in jeopardy essentially so yeah I.
Amanda Graham: mean it is.
Amanda Graham: exhausting.
Rayna Lountzis: yeah yeah it's amazing what you're saying it just reminded me of rocky story.
How much.
Amanda Graham: You like getting beaten up all the time, I will say.
Rayna Lountzis: yeah exactly how how much rejection he had before he goes and he's like but, but you know what's The difference is like.
Rayna Lountzis: He had a clear vision, this is the thing, yes or less or so on, so when you have the vision and when you focus on your strengths.
Rayna Lountzis: Definitely where focus goes energy flows where know that right, and if you go and you apply this, you will see the massive difference within you as a self identity within your reality, because our thoughts and our emotions are creating our physical reality.
Rayna Lountzis: And then that's like June more into the inner truth of view, like the divinity the divine spark the soul self rather than going.
Rayna Lountzis: You know 24 seven win this fight or flight like no no it's too stressful stressful you know where do we focus and then, how do we help so on set for example exactly what Lewis said earlier yeah.
Rayna Lountzis: There must be someone, this is actually good for my pitch now i'm talking about this.
Rayna Lountzis: A person who would be trained into grounding those actors grounding the team and the creatives the crew, so you don't go with all your problems in.
Rayna Lountzis: But you tune into you so you can do this creative work so like this is this is gonna be I think this is going to be an outcomes come at it.
Rayna Lountzis: From my research just because there's so many people who can get help from that not even you know not only people who need access available women like the ordinary normal We say this the right time, and you know.
Rayna Lountzis: as well.
Rayna Lountzis: We have some of these commenting limiters haven't.
Lewis Ian Bray: I think it's also important to remember that, like.
Lewis Ian Bray: When.
Lewis Ian Bray: in regards to autism, you have.
Lewis Ian Bray: Some people can have rejection.
Lewis Ian Bray: dysphoria there's a longer name for that, but what it basically means that rejections hitters hit us harder and because, as autistic people you spend your whole life being told oh that's wrong don't do that, why are you being naughty stop acting like a child and like naturally.
Lewis Ian Bray: Your brain goes to Oh, what have I done wrong or and so to be able to deal with that constant rejection I started auditioning for.
Lewis Ian Bray: films, TV plays in about 2015 and I think I must have been to at least 180 auditions that I didn't get before I managed to get my first and feature film and.
Lewis Ian Bray: And I genuinely put that down to the fact that I am autistic Maybe other people would have just given up, but this is my special interest and.
Lewis Ian Bray: Like I.
Lewis Ian Bray: That this is what I love and I will do it to the day that I drop it like it's so important to me and however amanda's right, you do have to be able to to have the space and the people around you that can help you.
Lewis Ian Bray: feel again quote unquote normal like that it's Okay, this is part of the process, however, I think what's difficult about rejection in the industry and not being able to speak about.
Lewis Ian Bray: Being autistic and being different is that it's not really understood and people don't have the time for it it's just like.
Lewis Ian Bray: All of that quirky thing that you do like that's great let's make a film about that and make a load of money, but we're not going to like give you the space and time that you actually need to thrive in that moment.
Lewis Ian Bray: And that's you know quite brutal for me to say, but like it's the truth, like.
Lewis Ian Bray: lots of people and production companies and underwriters are willing to like tell stories about disabilities but they don't actually want to put in the work when it comes to helping us, so I think having having those little spaces and.
Lewis Ian Bray: Like access coordinators and things that you were talking about Rana like having people on set assistants who are who are trained and.
Lewis Ian Bray: To help someone with autism and and just going back to what you're saying before about what Maria was saying about.
Lewis Ian Bray: And being on set like a lot of people are so frightened to even say it, because they feel like it will jeopardize their entire career.
Lewis Ian Bray: And, and the brutal fact is, is that I personally think there's probably a good 60 or 70% of the entertainment industry who are somewhere on the spectrum and that's not me saying that, like all everyone's autistic because that's not true, and I think we we all.
Lewis Ian Bray: I think there is a lot of neuro diversity in in our industry and the fact that we just don't talk about it is awful and yeah.
Rayna Lountzis: I totally agree with what Lewis says, because from my personal experience in the insensible thousand 12.
Rayna Lountzis: You could see when someone is creating that they have a different access lose creativity, like you know and.
Rayna Lountzis: it's just something special about them so yeah it is somewhere on the spectrum, as I said, I think this is just the uniqueness of this person, you know, being able to download this creativity, because of this special access needs that they have whether disability, whether mental health.
Rayna Lountzis: You know I can absolutely every single one of the people that have worked for with so far, I would say yeah definitely, and this is my personal experience, of course, I just want to go to the comments just before our next point.
Rayna Lountzis: So.
Rayna Lountzis: Common came in what a shame, you should always have to be in a fight more just to be able to work and engage with others like anyone else.
Rayna Lountzis: very disappointing in our society, another comment So where do we go to find these talented individuals i'm not in the film industry, but my company has TV commercials would love to see Lewis amanda or Maria in them, these are your superpowers.
Lewis Ian Bray: movie.
Amanda Graham: yeah.
Amanda Graham: So we'll just send the emails at the end.
Amanda Graham: Know like I love those points and that's you know, we had a chat with ITV and they're like what can we do to support you guys and I was like hire us.
Let.
Amanda Graham: us, you have a room of 30 creatives right now that you know what I mean but anyways like I think it's interesting because.
Amanda Graham: They are superpowers, and I know that's such a cliche, but it is kind of true.
Amanda Graham: And I think if, when you get enough confidence, like in terms of the rejection, I mean i'm in the comedy industry, do you know what I mean and i'm 50 for god's sake and autistic I am used to rejection.
Amanda Graham: And I think, and it does affect us, but I do think that you kind of this is going to sound a little brutal, but you have to suck it up a little bit like in this industry, because it is part of this industry.
Amanda Graham: Every actor every writer every whatever has to do with it that's how you weed out 90% of the people when they first start you know what I mean but.
Amanda Graham: I think if you can lean into your uniqueness and lean into what those weirdo strengths, that you have are what makes you a weirdo versus everyone else.
Amanda Graham: And you can lean into that confidence, then I think that you that will really help and, yes, we are traumatized from being rejected so many times, so you might as well.
Amanda Graham: Try it right, because what have you got to lose you're going to be told, no anyways.
Amanda Graham: So I mean i've been told know by a million different production companies, and I know it's mainly because of the ages and thing it's probably not disability thing, but what i've done.
Amanda Graham: For instance, like i've been wanting to write drama forever because I write comedy or whatever and everybody's like now.
Amanda Graham: So what i've done is i've put together my team i've put together, like my i've got i'm working with a virtual studio i've studied up on the technology.
Amanda Graham: i've got a marvel stunt woman i've got one of the biggest Hollywood director, signed on you know what I mean and i've had to do it myself.
Amanda Graham: Because nobody else has trusted me to do it so yes it's been exhausting the going there, but as long as you know, you have to know that there's something in you, that is worth, you know that there's an audience for you.
Amanda Graham: that people want to hear what you've got to say, and this once, you can lean into that and figure out what the way, is how to get there, you know whether you've got to like do your own projects because nobody else will hire you or whatever else it is.
Amanda Graham: that's I think that's the way to do it, I think heartbreak comes from thinking that there's only one way to success in this industry.
Amanda Graham: You know we're like flies against a window, you know just banging against it over and over and over again.
Amanda Graham: Instead of realizing there's always another way if you can just you just got to figure it out and be confident enough in yourself to figure out what that is.
Amanda Graham: So that's my that's my soapbox but that that's my you know that's my experience and the experience of all the disabled, creative creative I know who are having to do their own stuff.
Rayna Lountzis: This is so amazing we just had here another comment coming in i'm on the spectrum don't help us just hire us.
Rayna Lountzis: In reference to the earlier question we are getting asked if there is really a database or source to find actors screenwriters etc with disabilities now another point that amanda has thoughts on this, and maybe this is gonna sound cliche and probably is but.
Rayna Lountzis: Go out there shine your true light or authenticity everyone else is taken Okay, and you have come here for a purpose on a mission.
Rayna Lountzis: Go out there, get yourself out there, it does it doesn't matter if someone is going to criticize or judge you, what is the thing that you're going to get out of it or no, no it's not gonna hurt you get yourself out there other, the world needs you so much don't shrink into your.
Rayna Lountzis: Not cocoon what's the name of it, like the turtle don't shrink in it just go out there, go and sign speak about it, you know.
Rayna Lountzis: And this is the thing that we've been trying to work on the bridge second project as well, so.
Rayna Lountzis: We are here to.
Rayna Lountzis: go into this journey together to support those people with access needs.
Rayna Lountzis: We are with them, we are not against them, and you know it doesn't again it doesn't matter where you're coming from it doesn't matter of your color your religion your sexuality stuff matters get yourself out there.
Rayna Lountzis: So someone can see you, because if you are thinking they're in your minds i'm not good enough, this is not gonna work out but.
Rayna Lountzis: What are you getting negative self talk, what is the negative self talk bringing you more negativity.
Rayna Lountzis: The reality that you're living in your shift timelines, what is your highest timeline in your mind's eye, what is the best life that you want to live.
Rayna Lountzis: June into this frequency those frequencies are new currency tune into it, be it become this person embrace these abilities that you have.
Rayna Lountzis: Give yourself so much grace and so much self love, because if you don't stand stand up for yourself, no one is gonna stand up for you, nobody is going to go and rescue.
Rayna Lountzis: You need to do this work for yourself, and when you go deeper, and this applies to every single person in this earth, when you go deeper into your heart.
Rayna Lountzis: And you accept ourselves with so much love, then this is what you see in your reality and this stuff works like it really does.
Rayna Lountzis: hundred bucks just to the next point as well.
Amanda Graham: yeah now it's just going to add to.
Rayna Lountzis: The base for actors screenwriters OK, so the project we're working on now amanda is part of the Lewis as well and Maria so we have called it evolution film we're building a website and like a database, where everyone counts.
Rayna Lountzis: So that will be related as well to mentors and mentees, but it will really come from that, and this is still in development but it's if you wanna.
Rayna Lountzis: If you want to get involved to get in touch with me i'm going to type my email address there it's really going to come from this space of acceptance and love, so what we're saying amanda sorry.
Amanda Graham: Now, the only thing I was going to mention I was going to just hop on your point and say in terms of rejection and self love and whatever else.
Amanda Graham: A lot of people and this isn't just disabled people or people with mental health challenges, but this is everybody in the industry it's we do have to deal with rejection a lot, but the point is, if you can't Center yourself and be.
Amanda Graham: Confident, at least in part of you, and what you've got to offer you will crumble when you succeed.
Amanda Graham: Because you know, like if you do sell a TV show, if you do learn that big acting job if you do whatever else.
Amanda Graham: There, and you get on TV, there will be Facebook groups with people talking about how much they hate you do you know what I mean and how much you suck and whatever else.
Amanda Graham: that's part of success and it's like if you can't handle you know, a rejection when it comes to like an email or getting ghosted from a particular production company whatever.
Amanda Graham: You will be on the carpet with your Ben and jerry's you know what I mean and like an and whatever else like when you make it so you have to you have to learn that kind of thing one way or the other, that.
Amanda Graham: You say about that sorry yeah.
Maria Rogers: I think, also i'd like to say.
Maria Rogers: What you've been saying guys i'm here is when I bought I bought extensively in PR either time my life, where I was working with music musicians and.
Maria Rogers: I got tickets for film premieres not really Famous people I did it on my own and any work i've ever done whether it's makeup artistry PR.
Maria Rogers: anything like that or acting even i've actually.
Maria Rogers: i've always got it myself, and when I say that wasn't easy and for me one of one of my superior gifts, you could take.
Maria Rogers: As an autistic is i'm on very passionate if i'm not passionate about something whether it's acting on i'm actually doing singing and songwriting is my next thing i'm doing at the moment and we did that, for a while.
Maria Rogers: And so I really believe in it, and I feel passionate enough about it, I won't do it because I know it's something I.
Maria Rogers: I just couldn't do it because it's not being nice not being my true authentic self.
Maria Rogers: So I think we're minds were saying about having get out there and do this and all that and I know she was saying, because I i've done it many, many times and i've been i've been successful, because I think and.
Maria Rogers: As I said, it's passionate if I feel the passion i'll do it and it's self worth is belief, but there are times when that does disappear, sometimes.
Maria Rogers: And you do get stuck in there are times when it goes a bit dark, but then you come back, but it's motivation isn't it if you're really motivated by something you believe in yourself and you believe in what you're doing.
Maria Rogers: As Lewis was saying, you know doing all those auditions for the films, you know he kept doing it and then he did get one eventually you know, and so on, so.
Maria Rogers: it's it's just been accepted, more by the industry and not not to give up and believe in yourself as rain has been saying, but as I said, I have means I am successful in my career my career is i've been doing and helping doing and it's all down to passion.
Maria Rogers: And self belief that's my that's my honest truth.
Rayna Lountzis: yeah amazing like.
Rayna Lountzis: You made it just commenting plus one equals.
Rayna Lountzis: purpose for all of us exactly and Lewis amazing work like to go to so many auditions and not to give up like Hats off to you.
Maria Rogers: am I saying.
Lewis Ian Bray: Can you imagine.
Lewis Ian Bray: Anybody watching this if you're running a business, can you imagine having people with this much passion working in your business.
Maria Rogers: today.
Maria Rogers: we're here we're here.
Lewis Ian Bray: And we want.
Lewis Ian Bray: We want to work with with you, we want, we want to help you and design new products, we want to write new films, and I think what a lot of people get wrong about autistic people is that.
Lewis Ian Bray: we're not always what we see in the movies, you know where we're we're motivated we we can be in love, we can be happy we can be sexy, we can be bad people, we can be a whole.
Lewis Ian Bray: plethora of different things and to boil this down to swimming or and all of these idiosyncrasies that what people like.
Lewis Ian Bray: Just sort of like stereotypically think of US it's just is so wrong and and.
Lewis Ian Bray: yeah I, for me, I.
Lewis Ian Bray: Big because of because of who I am.
Lewis Ian Bray: I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't have what I have because I wouldn't be that guy that reaches out like you amanda to talk director and would say.
Lewis Ian Bray: Hello and i've got this idea for a film, would you like mine, directing it and and.
Lewis Ian Bray: I believe that is because of the way I am like a lot of people who aren't like that will say to me like I don't know how you do it, I don't know how you have the balls to reach out to a toddler actor a top stunt person.
Lewis Ian Bray: Because of their their their own insecurities but like.
Lewis Ian Bray: Was the to lose what I said to lose by.
Lewis Ian Bray: By may not like oh someone says now will clearly if they say no to that, but they're gonna not be the right person that you want to work with and.
Lewis Ian Bray: yeah um I.
Lewis Ian Bray: I yeah.
Maria Rogers: it's worth a shot.
Rayna Lountzis: i'm loving this.
Rayna Lountzis: i'm loving this this is amazing, you know in that point on that level guys there's no competition get yourself out.
Maria Rogers: There honestly.
Rayna Lountzis: hundred percent with no competition because people are.
Rayna Lountzis: You know I love to listen to Peter sage she said, he says good good opinion of other people every single one of us it's a string and.
Rayna Lountzis: What is this person talking about me they're not going to be a lot going there judging you from the PR side get yourself out there, like who cares or the other people say, have you got a clear vision, you are here for a purpose.
Rayna Lountzis: For this harmful or your heart desires.
Amanda Graham: You can even make you can even lean into your mistakes, you know and what you get wrong, like, for instance, I wrote a whole.
Amanda Graham: Because of because I messed up so much on networking being an autistic person, you know what I mean, so I wrote a whole curriculum.
Amanda Graham: On on what not to do with networking, you know what I mean and I listed all my mistakes and i've written a book i've you know I teach it at university I do.
Amanda Graham: I do public speaking on it, and whatever else so so you can do the other side of things to if you're willing to kind of.
Amanda Graham: Just you know in disarray yourself what your gut spill out onto the table which generally we autistic people are because we're big believers in the truth.
Amanda Graham: You know what I mean like then it works, the other way as well, so we're not only just having to show ourselves in the best light and whatever else, but we can we because we've got the.
Amanda Graham: ball sorry, but like because we've got the balls to just do and say what we want, because it's the truth, we can also lead to it, on the other side to.
Rayna Lountzis: This to go to the comments quickly.
Rayna Lountzis: event Lopez says applause three of you for sharing think event come and came in, he says people either forget or don't understand or don't want to that autism is a spectrum.
Rayna Lountzis: brilliant yeah right on Lewis and amanda you go, everyone needs that's it the walls exactly.
Lewis Ian Bray: it's true and.
Lewis Ian Bray: The best person to test your product is an autistic person, because they will tell you the truth, and whether you like it or not.
Lewis Ian Bray: And I also, I also want to pre face that with like autistic people aren't nasty on purpose they're not like they won't.
Lewis Ian Bray: They won't say something to hurt someone's feelings, it might inadvertently hurt your feelings, but the intention is is never oh I can't wait to hurt this person's feelings of my thoughts about this thing that they're doing like.
Lewis Ian Bray: It it's just it's a matter of fact thing and one thing I will quickly to talk about is within the industry.
Lewis Ian Bray: Is a thing called infantilizing and what we've got a lot of is that great we get the job booked the job and then.
Lewis Ian Bray: They know that your artistic and or and i'm talking in the industry out the industry now and you get some people in the workplace, that will be like.
Lewis Ian Bray: Okay, so what I need you to do is we're going to go through this this this and this and they treat you like a child.
Lewis Ian Bray: And and and it's so it's so frustrating, because what is and what's put out in the media about autistic people is that the cute as a child.
Lewis Ian Bray: And it totally changes, when you get as soon as you hit at and it's like oh weird autistic adult and and but they they infantilize and they make you feel a child and that like.
Lewis Ian Bray: That I know better, like, I know how to deal with my emotions you don't have an actual fact autistic people are extremely empathetic, we have to put ourselves in so many other people's shoes and i'm thinking about how.
Lewis Ian Bray: I mean all autistics worry about I mean I don't I don't wanna blanket say, but I know for myself and I can speak for myself that I worry about.
Lewis Ian Bray: And how my words affect other people, so to say that we're not empathetic is is rubbish because that's what I spend most of my day thinking about about how other people think, and so yeah there's just another Scott gun of ideas, but definitely.
Lewis Ian Bray: Please don't infantilize an autistic person speak to them like an adult and break things down for them if they need it to be broken down into smaller parts, but treat them like an adult please.
Rayna Lountzis: Nothing good point just the question came in what advice, can you give to up and coming actors and screenwriters who are autistic or have other disabilities and who want to break into the business.
Amanda Graham: Well, I would say i'm read that I can provide a stack of books about how people communicate because first of all that will inform your acting and your screen writing.
Amanda Graham: One of the things that i'm very strong at is like characters and kind of how it because I understand motivation and how that manifests so.
Amanda Graham: learn about how people function and how they communicate that will help you so much.
Amanda Graham: And i'm happy to send you i've got a like networking notes pack i'm quite happy to send you that will help you kind of give you.
Amanda Graham: individualize strategies on what to do with cold emails and how to like work a room, which is obviously a an absolute nightmare for most of us and and whatever so i'm happy to send one of those to you too.
Rayna Lountzis: brilliant, this is amazing think amanda.
Rayna Lountzis: yep.
Maria Rogers: or sorry also yeah I mean the course i've been doing.
Maria Rogers: The acting i'm doing.
Maria Rogers: There is.
Maria Rogers: Well, I think there's probably several not saying this loads, but there are there are There does seem to be more.
Maria Rogers: Casting agents coming up now, who actually are just like specifically for autistic people or people with disabilities i'm not saying there's loads I know I know one.
Maria Rogers: That might my.
Maria Rogers: Training school rocks with, and so there may be, it might be good to look up on Google, you know.
Maria Rogers: Casting agents, you know looking for autistic actors actresses or just thought you know i'm sure there's quite a few now and it's a good idea to start your own.
Maria Rogers: Because that's another thing that empower you to be able to sell I am an actor and i've got this casting agency as well and it might be a bit too much to do, but I think it's a good way to go, because that there are more more starting up now.
Lewis Ian Bray: I think the advice I would give to an up and coming actor screenwriter would be.
Lewis Ian Bray: and think of yourself as a business that's what Americans do really well and in the UK we don't seem to really talk about the business side of things very much and get business savvy follow the right people understand how to look after your taxes to look after.
Lewis Ian Bray: To get all your marketing materials together your headshot your show real all of those things and they're like practical kind of things and get yourself an agent.
Lewis Ian Bray: And not just because you want them to submit you for jobs and or to get your big right and jobs, or whatever you need someone who's on your side who can advocate for you and.
Lewis Ian Bray: Who can be who can be the big dog in the room, when you don't want to go in and say hey you're you're not doing this properly, you could get your agent to do that and, and I think agents respect that more.
Lewis Ian Bray: into in terms of acting, I think.
Lewis Ian Bray: Just.
Lewis Ian Bray: I suppose it depends on where you where you're at in your career and if you're a young actor.
Lewis Ian Bray: and
Lewis Ian Bray: Just try and work on those small parts that the police man, the ambulance woman like because they are the parts that we're going to get go and get seen for and be bloody brilliant at those parts.
Lewis Ian Bray: get good at just smashing that out, and when you're not doing that right your masterpiece right your Oscar masterpiece and then create those as as amanda said, create those relationships with with.
Lewis Ian Bray: Those people and then be brave be ballsy be like hey Mr director, I was police man three on your thing i've written this short film about this and.
Lewis Ian Bray: it's got this person on it, this person and this person on it, would you be interested in directing it and and then like Maria said, you could reach out to casting and be like hey.
Lewis Ian Bray: we're writing this film and then, then you start to, then you start to forget about doing the auditioning because.
Lewis Ian Bray: what's what's becoming more empowering is making your own work and and it doesn't mean you don't put the same amount of effort into.
Lewis Ian Bray: Those auditions but it doesn't become as.
Lewis Ian Bray: i've got to get this audition because desperation stinks and whether your artistic or not and.
Lewis Ian Bray: and
Lewis Ian Bray: My my last bit of advice would be.
Lewis Ian Bray: That the quicker, you can get to being yourself and unmasking and I prefer that live.
Lewis Ian Bray: On masking for some people, is very difficult because.
Lewis Ian Bray: It can be dangerous to unmask.
Lewis Ian Bray: pick and choose who you who you are and mask in front of just just be yourself, and if that jobs, not for you, because you see them too much or.
Lewis Ian Bray: You talk about too much in the audition room they think you're weird well you weren't meant to work with them like.
Lewis Ian Bray: You make as as everyone said, you must make your own work, and that that's sad but that's also like that's how the industry is going, whether you're an autistic or neurotypical like everyone's having to make their own work so tell a story that is about an autistic person.
Lewis Ian Bray: that's out of the ordinary that's not what we've already seen yeah that's what I would say.
Amanda Graham: that's when it.
Amanda Graham: comes down to bottom line if you're not invited to the table build your own table that's it, you know what I mean and you don't have to be disabled or have mental health challenges for that, like.
Amanda Graham: just stop exhausting yourself trying to get in with the cool kids or with the kid you know, like there is, you will you will be.
Amanda Graham: You have the opportunity to be authentic and exactly who you are, if you build your own table and you don't worry about accessing those spaces do it yourself, do you sell.
Lewis Ian Bray: Because that work there will be people out there who who will love what you do and they'll be like oh my God yeah I want to make a film about an autistic person that is like a 1970s kind of like.
Lewis Ian Bray: i'm Robert de niro style film yeah let's do that, like, why not like, and the yeah so chase that.
Amanda Graham: hundred percent there are so that's the advantage of being in a marginalized group is because we're not allowed that you know the same type of access in terms of our voices.
Amanda Graham: There are millions and billions of people out there, waiting, who have the same experiences, you have not heard those voices and they are waiting for your voice your experience you know and and and and so you've got an audience that the people who aren't marginalized don't have.
Lewis Ian Bray: To see you will never be you will never be more authentic you will never be more authentic than when you are playing a character that is authentically you and you have experience of and.
Lewis Ian Bray: That that then has the possibility to change somebody's life.
Rayna Lountzis: This is so amazing guys absolutely incredible Nathan says here, you should all get together and create your own casting agency just for professionals with disabilities, how good with that, yes, exactly that's a good idea isn't it.
Rayna Lountzis: Thank you so much this.
Rayna Lountzis: Again, I think we are after our our it has been an amazing this Castle Thank you so much for the heartfelt words and the authenticity, you have poor through my screen honestly.
Rayna Lountzis: For whoever is watching, please, please, please, if you want do get in touch I have seen my email out there and see how we can collaborate as well, there is a mother's death in her email as well in see if and how.
Rayna Lountzis: We can collaborate together we are having this intention for the British Government project to become an international project, then we are really getting involved with Lewis will will be filming.
Rayna Lountzis: In September by the look of the film that loses blink character main character in amanda's in the steering group and Maria has this come on board as well, so.
Rayna Lountzis: i'm really looking forward to work more with you guys and meeting you in person at some point, but for whoever's watching and thank you Nathan in the team absolutely amazing i'm looking forward to the replay Thank you, thank you, thank you all any final words for my dream team.
Nadine Vogel: At this ad, let me just say.
Nadine Vogel: Thank you, I love that you referred to, everyone is the dream team, you are, you are our dream team.
Nadine Vogel: I I just.
Nadine Vogel: You guys, you know you weren't you were real you were raw I love so many of the comments he said, but a couple of the takeaways for me be brave be ballsy.
Nadine Vogel: Where the attention goes the energy flows and don't worry about helping us just hire us darn it yeah No thank you once again, oh my gosh I know, everybody really enjoyed this and that I think i'm turning it back over to you.
I Lopez: Yes, and thank you so much that was phenomenal I echo Canadians words Raina Lewis amanda Maria amazing amazing amazing, so thank you, thank you, what you're bringing to the table and for being you.
Amanda Graham: Thank you for the chance, thank you very much for a.
Lewis Ian Bray: chance, I really.
Maria Rogers: enjoy Thank you.
I Lopez: And now we're going to move into our next session this session is invisible disabilities and well being in the workplace.
I Lopez: And let me just bring up that little screen for everyone.
I Lopez: And coming to the stage is associate professor at university of Derby Dr Christine Parker joining her is solicitor director and co founder of talon law mandy alek and joining them as Director mental health for Derby shire mind, Mr Gavin Cooper welcome to the stage.
we're just gonna bring everybody up.
I Lopez: Thank you Christina I see your face Gavin I see how are you how are you.
Gavin Cooper: yeah very much enjoyed the last session, thank you very much guys.
I Lopez: Thank you, thank you for that it was an amazing session now you guys are gonna follow it up with a more amazing session to right.
I Lopez: alrighty Christine it's all yours when you're ready.
I Lopez: Oh you're on mute.
Let me see if we can.
Try to help you out there.
I Lopez: nope you should be okay.
I Lopez: want to try again.
I Lopez: yeah she's not muted on our side, so Christina might be something on your end.
I Lopez: It still has his does your computer have privacy settings where the zoom might need your access to your microphone.
I Lopez: just give us a second.
Mandy Aulak: You just love technical glitches.
Gavin Cooper: yeah.
I Lopez: it's always the best part of our day.
Just.
I Lopez: go into your settings and look for privacy.
Nadine Vogel: So this is needy what we can do is maybe mandy and Gavin if you just want to take a minute and yourselves.
Mandy Aulak: sure.
I Lopez: I just didn't want to talk over them um.
I Lopez: i'll reach out to separate.
Gavin Cooper: weekend yeah.
Gavin Cooper: yeah yeah hi everyone.
My name is Gavin coupon.
Gavin Cooper: Oh hold on create Christina.
Christine Parker: Yes, i'm back.
Christine Parker: sorry about that and i'm apologies together and and mandy to throw them in to start off and also, I see that.
Christine Parker: they'd be more technically.
Christine Parker: Successful at getting the background I couldn't do that either.
Mandy Aulak: No, I didn't either in mind.
Christine Parker: Okay, so it was a lovely background Thank you know D and I did manage to get it in my personal zoom but not somehow in this I don't know but anyway i'm Christine Parker and I have.
Christine Parker: With me mandy or lack and Gavin Cooper and we're going to talk about invisible disabilities.
Christine Parker: which you are very welcome to ask questions about of all of us, and we have allowed time for that and i'm just going to start, I know that you've all.
Christine Parker: or many of you have been here all day or morning and so probably a lot of what we had to say, you may have already heard, and which is kind of Okay, because we're putting a message out there, but.
Christine Parker: i'll start with.
Christine Parker: A slide presentation i've got a few slides so i'll share my screen in the moment.
Christine Parker: and
Christine Parker: Then it's going then mandy's going to talk to you and then.
Christine Parker: And then Kevin and then we'll have time for questions.
Mandy Aulak: i'm just finishing actually seen.
Christine Parker: What what.
Mandy Aulak: i'm going to be splitting my talking to, so I will be.
Christine Parker: finishing finishing one, so I need to share i'm used to using Microsoft teams.
Christine Parker: To find out how to share my screen.
I Lopez: There should be a prompt Christina at the bottom of your screen, which is my P green it'll say share screen if you hover over your the the zoom screen with your with your mouse.
Christine Parker: And it's probably because i'm on a laptop I can't quite see the bottom of the screen, is it under more.
I Lopez: It could be under more for you.
Christine Parker: sorry about this, no.
I Lopez: Worries no worries you want me to bring them up for you.
Christine Parker: yeah that will be great if you could bring them up and then i'll just ask you to move on, when that happens.
just get there.
I Lopez: Forgive me just have.
I Lopez: Some folders.
Christine we're getting there.
Christine Parker: Right, so if if you could just make it big and yeah.
Christine Parker: Fantastic so.
Christine Parker: This is, can you now see just the screen that thing shared and what about as well, OK cool.
Christine Parker: So i'm Christine Parker on associate professor at darby and i've already introduced mandy or lack and Gavin Cooper and we are specifically going to look at.
Christine Parker: Mental health diagnosis and difficulties, although we went, we will mention some other.
Christine Parker: invisible hidden disabilities in the workplace, can we have the next slide please.
Christine Parker: So this is just a trigger warning in case the topics under discussion today may affect people with mental health difficulties or disabilities, there is in the chat area I understand a list of resources if they needed.
Christine Parker: Mental health difficulties and diagnosis, will affect most of us in our lifetimes including ourselves on the panel and yourselves our families, communities and.
Christine Parker: Professional colleagues this session is about hidden disparities in the workplace, which can include invisible physical health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, but, given the time available for this we've chosen to focus mainly on the mind and I just got.
Christine Parker: Next slide please.
Something pop up on my screen.
Christine Parker: Okay.
Christine Parker: I listened to some of the last session and I see that the people in that session we're all in the entertainment industry and in screenwriting and this deer in British Council steering group was mentioned, which i'm on as well.
Christine Parker: Because I lead an ma in screenwriting at darby and I also supervise postgrad research students in the college of arts humanities and education and.
Christine Parker: On the essentially on the filmmaker and I make films that inclusive of various communities.
Christine Parker: That need love ability research group love ability supports research with impact on equality diversity and inclusion.
Christine Parker: And the commonalities of the project that we support either curiosity compassion and empathy or the starting point for formulating aims objectives and critically informed research questions.
Christine Parker: I also, incidentally, in the animal research group which is cross disciplinary studies of non human consciousness on plants and animals to artificial intelligence.
Christine Parker: Which we're not going to talk about today so good either it's like these.
Christine Parker: So the context you know.
Christine Parker: we've had another panel talking about the screenwriting industry which is trying to divert diversify and they've talked to her about that, so I want, but.
Christine Parker: This is sort of broader context as well for.
Christine Parker: increased activity and particularly.
Christine Parker: People with Disabilities, particularly mental health disparities.
Christine Parker: In being inclusive in all our workplaces and occupations and education and the arts humanities research council in the UK and actually all the other research Councils have put a lot of money aside from 2021 from this report, which I show you a little bit of there.
Christine Parker: In order to do that and there's their main justification is shown here on the screen that mental health is one of the biggest challenges society faces in the UK.
Christine Parker: affecting all ages and crossing the social spectrum it accounts for more than 20% of the total disease burden in the UK exceeding cancer and cardiovascular disease and it's the leading reason for people taking time off work.
Christine Parker: And estimated one in four people will suffer from a mental health problem at some point during their life, this is a crisis.
Christine Parker: side to side societal crisis that cannot be tackled by medicine psychiatry or any single discipline alone mental health research requires a cross disciplinary approach and arts and humanities scholars have a key role.
Christine Parker: To that was a very recent report just from December 2021 there's a lot of awareness about the need for an interdisciplinary approach, including the arts towards disability and.
Mental health difficulties.
Christine Parker: Which kind of why i'm here so moving on to the next slide.
Christine Parker: I think I know what it is, is that is just an illustration of how Apps and humanities contribute to mental health research so obviously most of you will know about art and expressive therapies design designing innovative products and.
Christine Parker: Projects such as Karen community and preventative initiatives, and this is, I guess.
Christine Parker: Something that we're going to talk a bit more about today shaping policy and understanding mental health and well being and in terms of my professional history, making films about with characters with.
Christine Parker: disabilities is where I could have come into it.
Christine Parker: Could I have a next slide please.
Christine Parker: So what do we mean by the terms that we use and disability neurodiversity is probably mentioned today already mental health mental health difficulties.
Christine Parker: emotional well being there is obviously a legal definition of disability in the UK which mandy is going to pick up on and talk about as a sister specializing in the area and.
Christine Parker: i'm sure that many of you from other countries other nikkei have similar legislation and i've just put a link in there if.
Christine Parker: The wonderful event could share that link in the chat if anybody wants to access that.
Christine Parker: results.
Christine Parker: So this law requires employers to provide reasonable adjustments to those protected by it and again mandy will pick up on that topic so i'm just by way of introduction just going to mention well being talking about well being but with my next slide.
Christine Parker: And this, I don't know if you will have seen this spectrum, but before but we don't.
Christine Parker: we're moving more and more towards talking about.
Christine Parker: disability and abilities on a on a spectrum on scale, and that applies to both your diversity which i'll come back to in a moment, and also.
Christine Parker: wellness mental health wellness mental have been wellness and men mental health difficulties being not well.
Christine Parker: So.
Christine Parker: If you haven't seen this before it's worth really having a look at it and locating yourself on the spectrum and and perhaps remembering times when you've not been in the place, you are now, and if you are currently thriving or excelling you may have come through times, where.
Christine Parker: you've been surviving struggling or even in crisis.
Christine Parker: So what in an ideal world, we want people in the workplace in education to be thriving and excelling and that can apply to people who do have.
Christine Parker: Mental health diagnosis, so if we could just go to the next slide when.
Christine Parker: And Kevin is going to and expand on that much.
Christine Parker: So I just thought I would.
Christine Parker: sort of be interesting of it, I thought I will show you a little film because about depression, because.
Christine Parker: It will help us in the common conversation to talk about what the differences between, say, depression and say feeling a bit down yeah Thank you, I can see that little.
Christine Parker: it's in my presentation is a hyperlink but otherwise.
Christine Parker: i'm not sure what you do you put it in a browser.
Christine Parker: and share your browser with that I had a black dog His name was depression.
Christine Parker: Whenever the blacktop.
Christine Parker: you're still sharing my.
Christine Parker: presentation.
I Lopez: Allow me a second just to switch the screens.
Christine Parker: Right, thank you.
Christine Parker: If you could move it back to the beginning of the great.
Christine Parker: The divas coming on.
Nadine Vogel: I was just gonna say if we can't get the video with the audio be sufficient to so.
Nadine Vogel: You know.
Nadine Vogel: move things along for you.
Christine Parker: Right it's just.
Christine Parker: It was a great video, let me, let me see if I can do something.
Christine Parker: Really, because.
Nadine Vogel: Now it looks like a bit may be able to get it.
Christine Parker: it's it's her screen it's.
Nadine Vogel: I just don't want to delay your presentation so okay.
Whenever the black dog magnet parents, I thought empty and life just seem to slow down.
He would surprise me with a visit for no reason for occasion.
Christine Parker: The black dog made me look and feel all of them my ears.
When the risk of the words Henry enjoy I could only see it through the black dog.
Christine Parker: activities that usually a pleasure suddenly cease to.
Christine Parker: He liked to ruin my appetite.
Christine Parker: chewed up my memory my ability to concentrate.
Christine Parker: doing anything going anyway, with the black dog required superhuman strength.
At social occasions it sniff out what confidence, I had and chase it away.
Christine Parker: My biggest fear was being found out a word that people would judge me because of the shame and stigma of the black dog was constantly worried about be found out, so I invested vast amounts of energy into covering them up, keeping up and emotionally exhausting.
Christine Parker: Black dog could make me think and say negative things.
Christine Parker: He could make me irritable and difficult to be around.
He would take my love very much does.
Christine Parker: He love nothing more than to wake me up with highly repetitive and negative thinking, he also liked her mommy how exhausted, I was going to be the next day.
Christine Parker: Having a black dog in your life isn't so much about feeling a bit down sad or blue at its worst it's about being devoid of feeling or together as I got older black dog big it and he started hanging around all the time.
I chased him off with whatever I want my hand and running.
Christine Parker: But, more often than not come out on top going down became easier and getting up again, so I became rather good at self medication.
which never really helped.
Eventually, I felt totally isolated from everything and everyone.
Christine Parker: The black dog had finally succeeded in hijacking our life when you lose hold on if you can begin to question what the point of it is.
Christine Parker: Thankfully, this was the time that I saw professional help this is my first step towards recovery in a major turning point in my life.
I learned that it doesn't matter who you are the black dog affects millions and millions of people, it is an equal opportunity mangrove.
I also learned that there was no silver bullet or magic pill medication can help some and others might need a different approach, all together, I also learned that being emotionally genuine and authentic those who are close to you can mean absolute game changer.
Most importantly, I learned, not to be afraid of the back dog and I told him a few new tricks and.
Christine Parker: The more tired and stressed, you are the lottery barks it's not important to learn how to quiet your mind.
Christine Parker: it's been clinically proven that regular exercise can be as effective for trading mild moderate depression as antidepressants so go for a walk or run leave them behind.
Christine Parker: Keep emerging any thoughts on paper can be static and often insightful also keep track of the things that you have to be grateful for.
Christine Parker: The most important thing to remember is that no matter how bad it gets if you take the right steps talk to the right people black dog days can and will pass.
Christine Parker: I wouldn't say that i'm grateful for the black dog but he's been an incredible teacher he forced me to reevaluate and simplify my life, I learned that rather than running away from my problems it's better to embrace.
Christine Parker: Black dog tonight, always be part of my life that he never be the base that it was, we have an understanding of learned through knowledge patients discipline and human worst black dog can be made to hear.
Christine Parker: If you're in difficulty, never be afraid to ask for help, there is absolutely no shame in doing so any shame is missing out on long.
Christine Parker: Thank you, that if we could go back to the presentation.
Christine Parker: Back in.
Christine Parker: If we if you could re share the slides.
Christine Parker: Okay, so the.
Christine Parker: What I want to say with that was that.
Christine Parker: If you see in your.
Christine Parker: own words workplaces some of those symptoms and that's when you need to pay attention and.
Christine Parker: Think of ways in which you could support those people around you immediately following that video and YouTube there's another one.
Christine Parker: called living with a black dog, which is about caring for someone who is depressed so if this affects anyone out there, there are lots of resources which you can find industry on the Internet and there's also resources in in the chat.
Christine Parker: Give me the next slide please.
Christine Parker: And when I was preparing this I had to think about I just read some research.
Christine Parker: in higher education, which obviously are working.
Christine Parker: Which is that makes a really strong case for a correlation between the success of students and graduates and success is defined as academic achievement and success in employment and the factors which will.
Christine Parker: lead to that which correlate with that so.
Christine Parker: They are sense of belonging sense of purpose self.