Promoting Accessible Services and Practices in ESB for Customers and Staff Ciaran Gogarty

1. NDA Access Officers’ Conference 2009 Promoting Accessible Services and Practices in ESB for Customers and Staff Ciaran Gogarty Access Officer ESB Equality and Diversity Office

2. AO Role within the ESB Equality & Diversity Office • Equality • Exceed Equality Legislation & be leaders in best practice • Diversity • Positively Promote & Raise awareness of Valuing & Harnessing • difference in organisation e.g. gender, age, ethnic origin, experience, skills, qualifications etc. • Disability • Implement Code of Practice, Accessibility, Traineeship Programme, • Exceed 3% NDA Disability Target • Dignity & Respect • Promote Dignity & Respect amongst staff, Provide Guidance & • Support on Mediation Services, Interpersonal difficulties, Bullying & • Harassment, Provide a framework to resolve difficult issues. • Work Life Balance • Combining Career & other commitments through flexible work • arrangements, Health & Wellbeing, Time/Stress Management, • Family Support Services etc.

3. Common Assumptions about Access Officer Role • You know the specific features of every Disability • You are an authority on Equality and Disability Law • You know everything about Assistive Technology • You’re an expert on Accessible Environments • You are a Customer Champion with the power of veto • You are committed to quality customer service, disability equality and universal access, and developing support networks inside and outside the Business • In reality, you’re still learning …

4. Development of Internal Support Structures • Alignment of Access Officer objectives with the appropriate Corporate Policies and targets. • Key relationships developed with: • Senior Management Team • Group of Unions • Joint Equality Council • Business Unit HR Managers • Customer Advocacy Manager • Safety, Health and Welfare Co-ordinators • Disability Champions • Occupational Health and EAP Teams

5. Development of External Support Structures • The NDA is a vital, authoritative and irreplaceable partner in helping ESB to identify, promote and implement best disability equality practice throughout our Business. • We also attach great importance to developing closer relationships with our Equality, Disability and Access counterparts across the Civil and Public Service and Commercial Semi-State Sectors. • Likewise, we will continue to enhance regular contact and relationships with disability representative groups and support groups

6. Providing Services to Key Groups • Special Needs Customers • Staff with Disabilities • The Wider Community

7. Our Customer Charter Customer Service Guarantees include: • Treat everyone with courtesy and respect as we ourselves would wish to be treated • Trying to understand what a customer’s needs are by carefully listening to what the person has to say • Acting on our commitments as quickly as possible • Using clear, plain, jargon-free language

8. Special Needs Customers Supports include: • Selection of billing formats: • Braille, large-print, talking-bills, re-directed bills. • Minicom facilities, SMS texting service • Code of Practice for Special Services • Caring for the Elderly Code of Practice

9. Confidential Special Service Register • Its purpose is to identify and to respond appropriately to customers who would be vulnerable in the event of an interruption of electricity supply. • Customers can apply for inclusion on the basis of: • Difficulties of Vision, Hearing, Speech, Mobility • Priority Support – electrical medical appliances • Older Customers (66 and above)

11. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities • Last Revision was in 2000 • Legal Changes since then: Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005 Disability Act 2005 ECJ ‘Coleman’ Ruling 2008 • Changing Social Expectations: • Council of Europe Disability Action Plan 2006 - 2015

12. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities • Emphasis on positive non-stereotypical language • Goal to surpass the 3% employment quota for people with disabilities • New Voluntary Disclosure Parameters • Additional Pre-Employment and Induction processes

13. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities • Strengthened commitments on: Career Development for staff with disabilities Employee retention strategies Accessible environments Accessible information and communications • New Disability Awareness / Equality Training provisions for Mentors, Coaches, Safety Representatives, Disability Champions and Teams which include staff with disabilities

14. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities • New section on the accommodation of ‘service animals’: Guide dogs for people with vision-loss Assistance dogs for people with other disabilities. • Extra content on safety / evacuation risk-management • Promotion of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

15. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities • New supports to improve integration and participation • Easy-to-understand summary of Equality Legislation • Legal definitions of Disability and related terms • Phone / web contact details for 40+ Disability-related Organisations

16. Code of Practice for People with Disabilities ESB Traineeships for People with Disabilities (2006 – 2008) • 6 months’ paid Work-Experience Traineeships • For 30 people in real and meaningful jobs • Trainees selected to date include: • Men and Women • Early School-Leavers to Graduates • Ages range from early 20s to late 40s • Physical, sensory, cognitive and learning disabilities

17. Continuing with the Traineeships • Given the current climate which impacts particularly on people with disabilities, the Traineeship Scheme is being extended for 3 years (2009 to 2011) • More structured Skills and Needs Assessments • More targeted Disability Awareness Training • Balanced approach on Disclosure, Health and Safety

18. Thank You