The O2 Ability Awards 2010 are now closed for applications. Disability management consultants and assessors will now review all the applications submitted. 30 organisations will be short listed for onsite assessment. Organisations who are short listed will be advised of their onsite assessment date by the end of November.

This past Monday, you may have heard Tina Roche, CEO of Business in the Community, on Newstalk 106-108fm, on the Conor Brophy Business Show.  Keep an ear out tomorrow morning for Kathleen McLoughlin, CEO of the Irish Wheelchair Association, who will also be discussing the O2 Ability Awards and the business news of the day.  Both Tina and Kathleen are Judges on the Final Judging Panel for the O2 Ability Awards 2010.

Kieran McGowan (Chairman of CRH), Gar Holohan (CEO of Aura Holohan Leisure Group), Danuta Gray (CEO of O2) and Caroline Casey (CEO of Kanchi) were also interviewed on Conor Brophy’s show over the past few weeks. Podcasts are available for download on Newstalk’s website.

The Afternoon Show, RTÉ’s live flagship daytime programme, featured a segment on The O2 Ability Awards during yesterday’s show. Seonaid Dunne, Kanchi Sounding Board Member and Chiarra O’Ranaigh, of Eye Cinema Galway and a previous winner of an O2 Ability Award, were on hand to chat about why they feel it is important for organisations to think differently and APPLY for an O2 Ability Award.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is the assessment partner for the O2 Ability Awards 2010. The PwC team will work alongside Kanchi’s disability management consultants in the assessment and verification of organisations shortlisted for the O2 Ability Awards. These shortlisted organisations will receive a free full-day, on-site assessment.

Speaking at the announcement, Ronan Murphy, Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers said: “We are delighted to become the assessment partner for the O2 Ability Awards.  PwC is committed to having a positive impact on the people and communities around us and supporting the O2 Ability Awards is a key way of achieving this.”

Created by the founder of disability organisation, Kanchi and visually impaired social entrepreneur, Caroline Casey, the O2 Ability Awards promote organisations that think and act differently in relation to people with disabilities; who recognise ability and talent over disability; who see the economic and personal potential of employees and customers with disabilities, making products and services available to all.

Since 2005, over 100 businesses and organisations including Superquinn, McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland, Bank of Ireland, Kerry County Council and Aura Sport & Leisure, have been selected as O2 Ability Award organisations. Awards will be presented across six categories and there will be three overall winners: one each from the private and non-private sectors as well as an award for the Best Small Company. A televised series documenting a selection of organisations that participate in the O2 Ability Awards will be broadcast in May 2010.

Pictured at the announcement are (LtoR): Gaby Murphy, Managing Director, Kanchi; Ronan Murphy, Senior Partner, PwC and Majella Fitzpatrick, Head of Corporate Affairs, Telefonica O2 Ireland.

There are only two weeks left to APPLY for an O2 Ability Award. The first step is to register your interest. The Kanchi team realises many entrants are short on time.  Therefore, this year’s application process has been designed to be straightforward with minimum time required.  The first step is often completed in under 10 minuets.

Remember, the first twenty organisations to complete their detailed application form will be put into a draw. The prize? Kanchi Founding CEO, Caroline Casey, will visit your organisation to congratulate you and your staff as leaders in the inclusion of people with disabilities as customers and employees.

The O2 Ability Awards website has been shortlisted for the Irish Web Award’s category “Most Accessible Website”.  This is a true honour and very exciting news.  During the redesign of the the Ability Awards website, all involved made accessibly a priority.  It is a delight to be recognised as we strive to meet the same best practice standards the O2 Ability Awards promote.  View the full list of nominees here.

The Irish Web Awards will take place October 10th, 2009 at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Dublin.  Good luck to all!

An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD today launched the campaign to encourage organisations to enter the O2 Ability Awards – business awards for best practice in the inclusion of people with disabilities as employees and customers. Created by the founder of disability organisation, Kanchi and visually impaired social entrepreneur, Caroline Casey, the O2 Ability Awards promote organisations that think and act differently in relation to people with disabilities.

Since 2005, over 100 businesses and organisations including Superquinn, McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland, Bank of Ireland, Mayo County Council, Kerry Local Authorities and Aura Sport & Leisure, have been selected as O2 Ability Award organisations.

The O2 Ability Awards are open to organisations of all structures and sizes from the public and private sectors as well as not-for-profit and voluntary organisations. The programme rewards organisations that have put disability policies into action, delivering real and tangible business benefits both internally and externally.

Organisations are encouraged to enter online at www.theabilityawards.com before 6 November 2009. On completion of applications, thirty organisations will be shortlisted and will receive a free on-site assessment audit which will be carried out by independent disability management consultants. Awards will be presented across six categories and there will be three overall winners: one each from the private and non-private sectors as well as an award for the Best Small Company. A televised series documenting a selection of organisations that participate in the O2 Ability Awards will be broadcast in May 2010. The O2 Ability Awards is supported by Telefónica O2 Ireland, FÁS, The Irish Times, Newstalk 106-108fm and RTÉ.

Kanchi founder, Caroline Casey said: “In the current economic climate, recognising ability in business is more important than ever before. In 2005 we began a journey with the O2 Ability Awards – a journey that to date has seen over 100 organisations from across all areas of business and sections of society champion change through their inclusion of people with disabilities as employees and customers. That is why we want to hear from organisations, large and small, that are recognising ability and talent over disability and in doing so are showing leadership in this area.”

Danuta Gray, CEO of Telefónica O2 Ireland, said: “Embracing diversity has always been at the heart of O2’s business and our involvement with the Ability Awards since its inception has enabled us to learn ways in which we can take this commitment a step further for the benefit of our employees, customers and society as a whole”.

The success of the O2 Ability Awards in Ireland coupled with the ongoing support of Telefónica will see the Ability Awards launch in Spain during 2010, the first of several countries outside of Ireland where it is envisaged the Awards programme will be established.

You may have noticed the O2 Ability Awards website has a new look. The reason behind our design update is to ensure that prospective applicants have the best user experience possible. Information is clearly presented about the O2 Ability Awards, who is involved and practical examples of how to achieve best practice and much more. We invite you to explore and of course Apply!

Learn more about our previous winners in the new Case Studies Section. In this section, the 2007 Overall and Category O2 Ability Award Winners explain first hand what it means to be an O2 Ability Award Winner. See how entrants like Microsoft and Eye Cinema Galway became O2 Ability Award Winners and how they have reaped the benefits of being inclusive.

The 2010 O2 Ability Awards will be launched this September. Ready to apply or wish to know more? First step is to contact Kanchi team member Joanne to register your interest. Email: joanne@kanchi.org.