Timing is everything and recognizing a good opportunity when it arises is key. Telefónica knows a good idea when it sees one – just take the Ability Awards.
In 2007, a team of senior Telefónica executives attended the O2 Ability Awards ceremony during an early visit to Telefónica O2 Ireland. What they saw left a lasting impression.
Now, three years on, the groundbreaking model has been extended to Spain in the form of the Telefónica Ability Awards Spain.
Similar to the Irish version, the initiative aims to raise awareness of the positive impact that people with disabilities can have in business, as well as highlighting examples of best practice.
Telefónica O2 Ireland CEO Danuta Gray said:
“The expansion to Spain marks the first franchise of the Awards internationally and is a historic achievement for us and for our partner charity, Kanchi, highlighting the strength and innovation of Irish Social Entrepreneurship.
Our Awards have come a long way since 2004 and I am very proud of what we’ve achieved. We’ll continue to support Telefónica and Kanchi as they take their first steps together in Spain.”
Kanchi Programme Manager Ian Elliott said:
“When we first had the idea for the Irish Awards I don’t think we ever imagined the impact it would have or dreamed of it spreading to other countries.
But the response we got since the 2005 Awards was overwhelming and, when O2 was acquired by Telefónica, this took the scope of the Awards to the next level.
We worked very closely with Telefónica to assist them in the implementation of the Awards and supported and advised them on all stages of the Awards from assessment to the Awards event itself.”
Since the idea for extending the Ability Awards franchise to Spain was first mooted, Kanchi has been working with Telefónica and its partners in Spain to tailor the model for the Spanish market.
Ian Elliot said:
“We went through all the due diligence and research needed to adapt the Awards for a new country and a totally different culture.
That included everything from looking at legislation with their Assessment Partners PriceWaterhouseCoopers and their Disability Partners to adapting the whole process to ensure it fits culturally in Spain.”
Applications for the Awards opened earlier this year, 273 companies applied for the Telefónica Ability Awards representing 458 individual category entries. Customer service was the most popular category at 34% and accessibility the second most popular, at 20%. Of the 273, 48% were small and medium enterprises, 23% were large companies, 12% were non-profit organisations, 9% were universities and 5% were public bodies.
Ian Elliot said:
“Telefónica launched the Awards with a big direct marketing campaign.They reached approx 1.6 million contacts and have contacted 13,000 organisations; The success of the Awards so far, both here and in Spain, is fantastic.Compared to Telefónica, Kanchi is a tiny organisation, but this partnership is allowing us both to make a real difference.”
The Telefónica Ability Awards is an extraordinary achievement. From the outset, Spain has proved an unmatched commitment to the inclusion of people with disability through business, one that will be fundamental in leading a global business movement. Not only do we have over a hundred Ability Companies in Ireland, we now have 48 more in Spain, companies that demonstrate best practice for disability equality within their businesses, thereby creating examples for others to follow.
The Telefónica Ability Awards ceremony is taking place in Madrid, Spain this Monday 17th January. We are honoured to join Telefónica in welcoming her Royal Majesty the Queen to celebrate those 48 companies that recognise the benefits that people with disabilities bring to their organisations, be it employees, customers or members
of the community.
For all you Spanish speakers the Awards ceremony is being streamed live at 6.30pm on www.telefonicaabilityawards.com
About Telefónica
Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world in terms of market capitalisation. Its activities are centred mainly on fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both. The company has a significant presence in 25 countries and a customer base that amounts to 265 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, Europe and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth on strategy. Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4,563,996,485 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market and on those in London, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. Visit the website: www.telefonica.com
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.
