
Abbott Vascular and Cavan County Council were announced as overall O2 Ability Award winners, in the categories for Private sector and Non-Private sector respectively. The overall winner for a Best Small Company went to Kernan’s Eurospar, Donegal.
The Awards, now in their fourth year and created by disability organisation Kanchi, recognise organisations and business leaders that think and act differently about people with disabilities; seeing an employee’s strengths and abilities over any disability and recognising the economic potential of making their products and services available to all customers. Thirty-eight organisations were shortlisted as Ability Companies for this year’s Awards; who together employ 49,750 people in organisations spanning eight different sectors across 14 counties.
The 2010 category award winners included McDonald’s Drive-Thru, Ennis in the Customer Service category, EMC for Leadership and Waterways Ireland in the Environmental Accessibility category. Citi was named the Recruitment & Selection category winner with Dublin City Public Libraries & Archive winning in the Learning, Development & Progression category. Medtronic was named the winner of the Retention and Wellbeing O2 Ability Award.
Caroline Casey, Kanchi founder and creator of the O2 Ability Awards said: “When people are recognised for what they can offer or contribute they are valued and respected and in the current economic climate, recognising ability in business is more important than ever. One of the advantages of being an Ability Company is standing out from the competition, attracting new customers and being able to enhance employee and customer loyalty. Our Ability Companies are examples of excellence that other businesses can learn from.
We can and must continue to focus on achieving for all people with a disability an exciting future at work, packed with potential and facilitating the full development of their abilities. Organisations must see the importance of showing leadership and recognising ability and talent over disability. The purpose of the O2 Ability Awards is to provide an environment for continuous improvement and showcase excellence by organisations that champion change in the area of disability at work and in wider society.”
Danuta Gray, CEO, Telefónica O2 Ireland, said, “It is inspiring to see the wide spread of companies that are winning O2 Ability Awards. These are the organisations and business leaders that truly think and act differently, raising awareness, promoting leadership and encouraging best practice. It was also with great pride that we recently saw the launch of the first Ability Awards outside of Ireland in Spain, in partnership with our parent company Telefónica. Given the phenomenal success of the Awards here, it is now only right and proper that they are being sought after further afield, where I have no doubt they will be equally as successful.”
Presenting the award for the Private Sector, Mary Robinson said, “I am delighted to be associated with the O2 Ability Awards, an innovative programme engaging in an imaginative way with organisations and leaders throughout Ireland to promote the individual abilities of people who overcome significant challenges in their daily lives. It is particularly heartening that so many public and private enterprises continuously strive to recognise the abilities of people with disabilities and showcase the economic potential of developing accessible products and services for all.”
Senator Feargal Quinn was awarded the ‘Kanchi’ award in special recognition of his leadership in encouraging positive change and promoting business culture that seeks, respects, values and harnesses difference for the benefit of both business and society. Having won an O2 Ability Award 2005, Feargal Quinn has worked with and lent his support to several disability organisations, leading and influencing a vision that values difference.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe TD, said, “These awards recognise how workers with disabilities can enrich the labour force and seek their full measure of success in today’s jobs market. I want to acknowledge the commitment shown by the Kanchi team in making the strong business case for the employment of workers with disabilities.
The leadership the Kanchi team shows is important in raising the profile of social enterprise and the contribution those with disabilities can make to the economic recovery project and the growth that we will soon experience again. These awards are widely recognised as demonstrative of high standards in the employment of workers with disabilities and employers across the private and public sectors value what they have come to signify. I congratulate the award-winners and I wish them continued success.”
Entrant organisations to the O2 Ability Awards underwent a four month in-depth assessment that examines all aspects of employment and customer service, conducted by disability management consultants and Kanchi’s assessment partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Ability Companies were judged by experts in the fields of business and corporate affairs, disability management, equality management and by people with disabilities themselves, before the final winners were selected.
The first of its kind in the world, the O2 Ability Awards was first established in 2005 and since then over 100 organisations have been recognised for embracing diversity in terms of employing people with disabilities or targeting them as customers. Overall winners in the past include Aura Sport & Leisure, Mayo County Council and McDonald’s franchise at Shannon. The success of the O2 Ability Awards in Ireland is evidenced by the recent announcement in April 2010 that for the first time, the Awards will take place outside Ireland in Spain, supported by O2’s parent company Telefónica.
The O2 Ability Award for Overall Winner in the Private Sector was presented by Mary Robinson. The Non-Private sector award and Best Small Company award were presented by CEO, Telefónica O2 Ireland Danuta Gray and businessman Denis O’Brien. The six category awards were presented by former TV3 Presenter Lorraine Keane, one of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs and Dragon’s Den star Sean Gallagher, broadcaster, Claire Byrne, Irish soccer legend Packie Bonner, Senator David Norris, TV Presenter Grainne Seoige, former Miss World Rosanna Davison, TV Presenter Jenny Buckley, TV3 Apprentice winner Steve Rayner with fellow contestant Breffny Morgan, Niall O’Farrell owner of Black Tie and magician Keith Barry.




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.








