Three of the 38 companies shortlisted in the 02 Ability Awards say how they support people with disabilities, writes CAROLINE MADDEN

THIS IS the fourth year of the O2 Ability Awards programme, which showcases organisations that champion change in the area of disability at work and in wider society.

This year’s winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on May 12th, but here we give a sneak preview of three of the 38 shortlisted companies.

Microsoft’s Irish operation has been proactive in terms of embracing equality issues, particularly when it comes to making their products accessible to customers with disabilities.

All of the technology giant’s key product lines like Windows and Office incorporate functionality to assist people with disabilities such as visual impairment in accessing these products.

Cathriona Hallahan, managing director of Microsoft’s European Operations Centre in Dublin, says that the company takes the issue of accessibility as seriously as the reliability, security and compatibility of its technology.

“It makes sense from a business imperative perspective,” Hallahan says. “At Microsoft we focus on the ‘ability’ part [of disability].

“What is the person’s capability, what are they able to do and what can we do to make that as easy as possible?”

The company has also hired a young graduate, Stephen Campbell, who is visually impaired and hopes to compete at the 2012 World Paralympics.

Campbell will start an internship in July as a project manager in Microsoft’s development centre and will work on improving software accessibility for people with visual impairments.

Microsoft has a diverse customer base and therefore its workforce should reflect that diversity, Hallahan continues. “It helps us in our product design, and engagement with the end customer, if we can reflect that in the workplace.”

Trinity College Dublin has also made this year’s shortlist.

One of Trinity’s key values is inclusivity, in relation to both students and staff.

“Disability should not be a barrier to education,” says Trinity’s chief operating officer Tony McMahon. However ensuring that the campus is accessible to all presents a number of challenges, as it is 400 years old and some of the buildings are listed.

As a result, the college has tread carefully to balance equality legislation with planning restrictions.

A ramps programme has just been completed in the front square of the campus and planning permission has been granted to create a path through the square.

Some of the famous cobblestones will have to come up for this project, which will be carried out during the summer, but it will make access far easier for wheelchair users.

On the residential side, as part of a recent building refurbishment job, a number of apartments in Front Square have been fully adapted to accommodate people with disabilities.

Trinity has also tailored its recruitment process so that it is more practical, in an effort to create a level playing field.

The process is still objective but focuses more on the skills required to carry out the job in question, rather than basing the recruitment process solely on how a candidate performs in a formal interview setting.

McMahon says that the business case in favour of the inclusion of staff and students with disabilities in Trinitys community is clear.

“There are lots of people who can contribute in all sorts of ways. The fact that they have a disability might be totally incidental to their ability to perform,” he adds.

“Disability and excellence are not incompatible.”

Waterways Ireland, a cross- Border body tasked with managing and developing inland waterways for recreational purposes, believes that Ireland’s waterways are “there to be enjoyed by everybody and accessed by everybody”, says chief executive John Martin.

“Nobody should be debarred if at all possible from using waterways and additional facilities. It’s always been our view that . . . the choice should be yours. It’s an issue of choice instead of ability.”

To this end, Waterways Ireland has adapted moorings to make it easier for people with disabilities to get into boats. It has also ensured that all toilet and shower facilities near waterways are accessible to everyone.

Along the banks of Dublin’s Grand Canal, a range of fishing stands has been installed for people in wheelchairs. Martin adds: “It has made life much more convenient for those people and has gone down very, very well.”

A number of international organisations have visited Ireland to look at the initiatives put in place by Waterways Ireland and to get guidance from the Irish organisation on improving the accessibility of waterways.

Martin is delighted that Waterways Ireland has been shortlisted for the O2 Ability Awards as it is “great recognition” for its staff, who are “completely committed” to this issue.

The 2010 O2 Ability Awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday, May 12th, in the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, Dublin.