Banking on an Accessible Future Work on many fronts is making the Bank a good employer for people with disabilities Recognizing the need to attract and retain high-caliber staff with disabilities, the World Bank recently endorsed its first multi-year institution-wide action plan. The new plan is the direct result of World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn's commitment to full integration of people with disabilities, into both the Bank's work with clients and its own workplace. "The Bank Group cannot be a credible advocate for full inclusion of people with disabilities in the development process if its own house in not in order," says Wolfensohn. Investing in a Vision A former President of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, Wolfensohn came to the Bank with a clear idea of what needed to be done. On the "house" side, he established a Disabilities Working Group (DWG) in 1999 to identify areas for moving the agenda forward. The group is composed of staff with disabilities and representatives from, among others, Human Resources, General Services, Health Services, Information Solutions and the Staff Association. It has been meeting monthly to learn about issues, resources and best practices, and to set priorities. "We were facing a learning cliff, not a learning curve," says Sheila Reines in the Office of Diversity Programs, coordinator of the DWG since its inception. "We're still learning as we go, but we’ve come a long way." The plan, developed by the DWG, distills this learning into eight action areas: policy development, recruitment, accommodation, career development, infrastructure, technology, awareness-raising, and outreach/partnership development. Dispelling a Costly Myth The group's first challenge was to remove barriers to employment, real or perceived. For example, it is commonly believed that workplace accommodation costs for individuals with disabilities are expensive. Research quickly showed that the average cost of an accommodation is less than $300. "A small investment makes a huge difference in enabling staff to be productive," says Reines. With an eye toward removing cost entirely from the hiring equation, the Bank established a Disability Accommodation Fund in 2000, which reimburses hiring units for accommodations ranging from large-screen monitors or adaptive software, to personal assistants for staff with significant disabilities. Building an Accessible Future Another myth is the high cost of accessible construction. While retrofitting buildings may be expensive, using accessible design standards for new construction incurs costs - so marginal that we wouldn’t even consider them separately, - according to GSD’s Country Office Real Estate Manager, Titus Hicks. Newer Bank buildings such as the International Finance Corporation headquarters in Washington have been constructed using Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as guidelines. Efforts are underway also to equip older buildings in Washington with automatic door openers, wheelchair ramps and elevators accessible to people with visual, audio or mobility impairments. The commitment does not stop in Washington. The Bank conducted a survey of all 106 Country Offices to determine what modifications would be necessary to make them accessible. Senior management recently approved a plan based on the findings, to make all Country Offices functionally accessible - at a minimum, one office, one meeting room, one restroom - within 4 years A Holistic Approach The Bank's plan to become an employer of choice for people with disabilities goes beyond accommodations and facilities management. Support begins at the recruitment stage. Recruiters are receiving disability awareness training and are encouraged to link up with disabilities organizations around the world to tap into their networks. Recognizing that equal access includes information technologies, the Bank’s Information Solutions Group (ISG) has established an accessibility technology program providing web and software accessibility; defining an assistive technology process whereby employees with disabilities can request an accessibility service and/or technology product; offering assistive technology training; and providing accessibility products and services online. Awareness Building Awareness of disabilities issues for managers and staff is a key to creating a more supportive environment. Work is under way to integrate disabilities into many aspects of diversity training. Bank-wide program such as the November 30-December 1 celebration of the International Day for Disabled persons highlight disabilities issues in development and in the Bank itself. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20239438~menuPK:34457~pagePK:64003015~piPK:64003012~theSitePK:4607,00.html# Contributed by Jamie Prioli