Pictured at the announcement of the Ability Companies are (LtoR) Majella Fitzpatrick, Head of Corporate Affairs, Telefonica O2 Ireland and Caroline Casey, founder of Kanchi and the Ability Awards.

This year over 100 organisations participated in the Awards programme, which recognises organisations that champion the ability and value of employees and customers with a disability.

Among the 38 organisations shortlisted are 18 organisations that are first-time participants in the O2 Ability Awards programme. These include The Courts Service, Dublin Tourism, EMC, Homebase, Imaginosity, Medtronic, Trinity College Dublin and Waterways Ireland. Each participating organisation has undergone an on-site assessment undertaken by disability management consultants and Kanchi’s assessment partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The organisations shortlisted for this year’s O2 Ability Awards together employ 49,750 people in organisations spanning eight different sectors across 14 counties, with 22 of the organisations based in Dublin City or County.

Sectors represented this year include financial services and banking (AIB Group and Citi); pharmaceutical and medical (Abbott Vascular and Medtronic); ICT (Microsoft, EMC and Eircom); hotel/catering and restaurants (Four Seasons Hotel and McDonald’s); education and training (Dublin City Public Libraries & Archives and The Homework Club) and the social/voluntary sector (The Melting Pot, Roscommon). The sport and leisure sector is best represented this year with six participants including Croke Park, DCU Sport, Laois Sports Partnership, Leisure World Cork, the National Aquatic Centre and Westport Leisure Park.

Fifteen organisations from the public sector also make this year’s shortlist including The Central Fisheries Board, Iarnród Éireann, Cork County Council, Carlow Local Authorities, Fingal County Council, Cavan County Council and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

Announcing the Ability Companies, Caroline Casey said: “The diversity of the Ability Companies shortlisted for an O2 Ability Award demonstrates how organisations in all areas of business recognise the value of people with disabilities to their business, as customers and as employees. It’s an exciting time – these organisations are creating a momentum for change and seizing a competitive advantage in a challenging economic environment”.

The 2010 Ability Companies are:

Abbott Vascular
AIB Group
Carlow Local Authorities
Cavan County Council
Citi
Cork County Council
Croke Park
DCU Sport
Department of Social & Family Affairs
Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive
Dublin South City Local Health Office
Dublin Tourism
Eircom
EMC
Fingal County Council
Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin
Galway University Hospitals
Homebase
Iarnród Éireann
Imaginosity
Kernan’s Eurospar
Kilkenny County Council
Laois Sports Partnership
Leisure World Cork
McDonald’s Drive-Thru, Ennis
McDonald’s, Dungarvan
Medtronic
Microsoft Ireland
National Aquatic Centre
South Dublin County Council
The Central Fisheries Board
The Citizen’s Information Board
The Courts Service
The Homework Club
The Melting Pot, Roscommon
Trinity College Dublin
Waterways Ireland
Westport Leisure Park

Many congratulations to all our Ability Companies and well done!

A total of 105 eligible organisations registered to participate in the O2 Ability Awards 2010. 77 Private Companies and 28 Public Organisations from across 23 Industry Sectors aggregately employing 79,720 people are positively promoting the ability, value, and potential of people with disabilities as both employees and customers.

The provincial spread of registered companies reflects the ever-widening geographical reach of the Ability Awards. From Donegal to Cork, and Galway to Wicklow, despite the current economic climate, all of these organisations are challenging mindsets and encouraging a greater awareness of ability, making a difference to millions of people throughout Ireland.

On behalf of all our stakeholders, Kanchi would like to say well done and thank you for thinking differently by participating in the O2 Ability Awards 2010.

Good luck to all the organisations participating in the next stage of the programme.

Here at Kanchi, we are celebrating by recounting the success thus far of the O2 Ability Awards 2010. This year, 105 eligible organisations registered to participate in the O2 Ability Awards 2010. Of these registered organisations, 85 submitted final detailed application forms. A record breaking 70% of these were new organisations: organisations which had not been deemed an “Ability Company” by Kanchi’s O2 Ability Awards before. Organisations from across 25 different industry sectors and 21 Counties applied.

It should be noted the standard of applications was incredibly high this year. Therefore, 42 organisations will receive on-site assessments. This is a testiment to the commitment Irish companies are making to the business case for disability.

Gaby Murphy, Kanchi’s Managing Director said: “It is fitting that we can today announce details of the growing level of interest in the O2 Ability Awards which reflects Ireland’s commitment to the United Nations International Day of Disabilities. The quality and calibre of entries this year is significant in terms of organisations not only embracing disability policies put putting them into action – there is clear evidence of a positive shift in practice when it comes to accommodating both employees and customers with disabilities”.

A full list of companies shortlisted will be released during February 2010. A televised series documenting a selection of organisations that participate in the O2 Ability Awards will be broadcast on RTÉ in May.

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.

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.

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