International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated internationally and annually on December 3rd to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities. It is up to every single human being to take action to include them in all aspects of society and professional development.
In the current situation with COVID-19 we are even more divided by partitions in the form of masks, plexiglass, and others. This makes it even more difficult to get involved, and the only thing we can do right now is to think and reflect.
Jamba – Career for All is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to connect people with disabilities to the future of work in Austria by offering career opportunities in the IT and AI sector. Our team has created an awareness campaign, Wir Alle Können (We All Can), in celebration of International Day of People with Disabilities, happening in 3 European countries – Austria, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Jamba has gathered many organizations to partner together to strengthen the awareness of the enormous potential of people with disabilities. This campaign will support the continuous diversity and inclusion efforts within the workforce.
Wir Alle Können (We All Can) reflects the many success stories of people with disabilities who overcame barriers to succeed in their professional careers. We want everyone to see that this is possible, and to advocate for real change, with equal access to education, professional development, and the labor market. At the same time, we want companies to move beyond hiring as a charity and to recognize people with disabilities for their talent and contributions.
Our team sincerely believes that unification and joint collaborations are the keys to achieve real results in the integration of people with disabilities. That is why we are extremely happy that this campaign is being carried out in partnership with our valuable partners committed to the same cause – WAG, MyAbility, Essl Foundation, ASEP, MAD, Atempo, Hilfsgemeinschaft’s, and Dopeg.
The campaign presents the stories of seven ambassadors who share their experiences and professional backgrounds:
Andreas Onea is an Austrian Paralympic swimmer. He is also active in moderation of various events including a sports show presenting people with disabilities who are athletes.
Elisabeth Löffler is a freelance performance artist and sex consultant who enjoys dancing and writing and is involved in the self-determined life movement.
Gerhard Formann started his career in customer service and after almost thirty years of working in different companies and organizations decided to be self-employed.
Katharina Praniess works as a peer consultant and supports people with disabilities in the process of personal assistance.
Markus Binder is a learning assistant for people with learning disabilities but also the Austrian Open winner in bodybuilding.
Maximilian Pölzl, who combines work and studies, is dedicated to offering advice on how to provide barrier-free constructions.
Thomas Gutsjahr is an assistant to the board of directors at Austrian Senior Experts Pool who had to change his profession after an accident.
With this campaign, Jamba aims to draw the attention of the public in Austria to the topic of the full inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market. Persons with disabilities just need to be given the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our appeal to all employers is – provide a chance because WE ALL CAN!
