Our Global Diversity Council, led by Laura Abasolo and made up of senior Telefónica executives, has recently approved the objective of doubling the number of employees with disabilities in the workforce by 2024.
Building on this commitment, this year we’re once again participating in the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a campaign that focuses on the skills and abilities. In this way, we want to focus our efforts on attracting and developing the best talent, without labels.
“We believe that the talent of our people is the only thing that matters. That’s why, at Telefónica, we are committed to doubling the number of employees with disabilities globally over the next two years” (Laura Abasolo, Chief Financial and Control Officer & Chair T. Hispam of Telefónica)
Awareness and visibility as a basis for progress
At Telefónica, we have a responsibility to make all our resources available to help close the disability employment gap. To achieve this, we must raise awareness among people in order to overcome unconscious biases and normalise disability in the workplace. To this end, we hold regular courses and workshops aimed at all employees and areas with significant responsibilities. We also organise communication campaigns, one of which was awarded the Ocare Award in 2022.
In addition, Telefónica has become the first Spanish company to participate in the Generation Valuable initiative, a mentoring programme promoted by The Valuable 500, which boosts the careers of high-potential people with disabilities.
“Together, we need to empower people with disabilities to humanise technology and break down barriers with digitalisation. Thank you to The Valuable 500 for promoting such an innovative initiative as ‘Generation Valuable’” (José María Álvarez-Pallete, CEO of Telefónica).
Attracting and developing high-value talent
To move forward, the company is well aware that it must surround itself with the best partners. For this reason, through its various businesses and operations, our company has signed a number of agreements with entities that help to identify candidates with disabilities with profiles that meet our needs. One example is the “GoodJob Foundation” which, as part of the Include Programme, trains people with disabilities in various areas of interest, offering internships in companies of our Group.
In the same way, we promote diversity in our value chain, increasing the offer of Special Employment Centres (originally, “Centros Especiales de Empleo”) in our procurement platform, and we have also raised awareness in the areas entrusted with the contracting of services.
Accessibility of products and services
Telefónica’s products and services follow the “Design for All” philosophy. This incorporates accessibility in the development of solutions right from the creation phase. To promote this commitment, and as part of the “Responsible Design” project, we have trained product managers in accessibility criteria.
In relation to products and services, a good example is the Movistar+ 5S television service, which offers accessible content (with subtitles, audio description, and sign language) for the visually and hearing impaired. Furthermore, with regard to mobile handsets, we’ve classified and labelled our catalogue in terms of their accessibility, thereby making purchasing decisions easier.
