What’s your perception of ability vs disability? Whatever it is, this short, compelling video is likely to change your thinking.
This is a brief post featuring a heartwarming video that someone brought to our attention – a 3-minute promotion for the Rio Summer Paralympics 2016. The Paralympic Games are an international multi-sport event involving athletes with a range of disabilities. The next scheduled event will be winter games on 2018, scheduled to be held in South Korea.
It’s a great video because it has a lot of energy and excitement but it also has the power to make viewers change perceptions about abilities vs. disabilities. Among its goals, the International Paralympic Committee cites athlete empowerment but also a goal of inspiring and exciting the world and touching the heart of all people for a more equitable society. Among the values the it espouses:
“Through sport Para athletes challenge stereotypes and transform attitudes, helping to increase inclusion by breaking down social barriers and discrimination towards people with an impairment.”
Inspired? If your organization would like to achieve greater diversity and best practices in employing people with disabilities, there are many opportunities. The National Organization on Disability says that “25 years after the passage of the Americans with Disability Act, only one in five Americans with disabilities holds a job.” Here are some resources they offer:
Leading Employment Practice for resources, surveys and research
Also see The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
For more best practices in employment, see the ESI Management Academy, an entire curriculum of online training programs that promote the key management skills every manager needs to succeed in a supervisory role.