Last Wednesday, the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games held at the auditorium located at Rio 2016™ headquarters in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, a meeting aimed at presenting its Disabled People Recruiting Plan, in addition to identifying the metrics which will guide the actions performed.

Rio 2016™ Human Resources Director, Henrique Gonzalez, had the opportunity to divulge the Organising Committee’s planning for the area. He has also received requests and suggestions from representatives of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB), members of non-governmental organisations which develop activities targeted at people with disabilities and government representatives.

During the meeting, an announcement was made regarding the creation of a database for people with disabilities who are potential candidates to work at Rio 2016™. The collaboration with institutions which directly or indirectly work, help or provide care to people with disabilities in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil was also on the agenda.

“Differences are welcome, as they bring innovation, multiply energy and point out at solutions for conflicts.  Our work profiles become increasingly diversified. People with disabilities will not apply for specific vacancies.  On the contrary, we want them to apply for all vacancies that are available”, Gonzalez stated.

Rio 2016™ currently complies with Brazilian law’s determination, which provides that companies with 201 to 500 employees must have 3% of their headcount composed of disabled people.  In four years, more than 200 people with disabilities are expected to be working for the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“It is one of our organisation’s beliefs that diversity in our workforce is necessary for us to achieve our goal of organising the Olympic and Paralympic Games with technical excellence and memorable celebrations, in addition to leaving a legacy for the country.  We seek to recruit a higher number of people of disabilities as opposed to the quota defined by the law, and we do not plan to create specific vacancies for these people.  We want them to apply for all job positions according to their professional profiles, and we will evaluate them according to the vacancy’s profile”, the President of Rio 2016™ Carlos Arthur Nuzman added.

People with disabilities in the volunteer programme

One of Rio 2016™ goals is to have a significant number of people with disabilities among the volunteers for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Accordingly, the employee recruiting programme will serve as base and inspiration for the volunteer programme.

Rio 2016™ currently has specialised consultancies and a partnership with the CPB, which recommend people with disabilities for taking part in the selection processes.  One of the goals of the meeting held last Wednesday was to build stronger collaboration with NGOs and government entities so as to attract potential candidates and include people with disabilities in the database.

“As we mention disabilities, many think of slightly visible physical disabilities, such as amputations. We are here discussing all types of disabilities, from paraplegia to visual, hearing, and intellectual impairments.  Within any company, people who host these candidates and future employees must be properly trained, and there is also a concern with accessibility and the organisation’s culture regarding these professionals, so as to reach a “complete inclusion” level”, analyses Jean Loup Jospin, job market analyst at the Brazilian Institute for the Rights of People with Disabilities (IBDD).

“Accessibility for people with disabilities means more than a ramp.  Accessibility can also be achieved through communication and adequate signalling, for example, or through adaptations to hearing and visual disabilities in institutional videos. These are important issues for the Committee’s internal and external public. In Rio 2016™, exchanging experiences with the organisations that work in the area is very important, so as to allow such issues to be raised”, adds Claudia Maia, technical coordinator of Escola de Gente – Comunicação em Inclusão (Communications in Inclusion).

According to Sérgio Paulo Nascimento, Federal Government’s Human Rights Secretary, these meetings will generate positive results for the Rio 2016™ throughout the period that precedes the Games. “This is a rewarding step, an open and fearless approach to the issue.  Society members who attended the meeting have legitimacy to bring issues and make suggestions. They all seek to achieve a common goal in the long term”.