HANDI DAY: RAISING AWARENESS OF HANDICAP ISSUES

EDHEC welcomed 19 companies on 25 November for this year’s Handi Day, an event devoted to increasing visibility on handicap, a key subject for EDHEC and central to the School’s 2020-2025 strategic plan. Originating from a wide variety of sectors (agri-food, banking, construction, etc.), the companies partnering the event attended the School’s Lille campus to present their actions geared to fostering the inclusion of handicapped staff. This strong response from the business world, initiated by the School, was designed to help students grasp the issues of handicap in the professional world and in society in general. An objective shared by Music’all, the EDHEC student association that has been co-organising an annual musical comedy for the last 25 years with the aim of  “de-dramatising handicap”.

Acting in favour of the handicapped within companies

During the day, the participating companies (Société Générale, Nocibé, Vinci, Bonduelle and many more) described to EDHEC students their internal policies in favour of handicapped persons and notably their induction procedures and team training. Each company also offered an activity designed to raise students’ awareness of the subject; e.g. an autism quiz designed by SAP, a snakes and ladders game created by Expleo or a ‘visible handicap’ card game devised by Bouygues Télécom. These initiatives aimed to provide students with insight to enable them to take into account handicap issues throughout their careers.  

Research highlighting the diversity of handicaps

To close the day, the Open Leadership For Diversity & Inclusion Chair held a workshop, followed by a conference focusing on the “inclusion of staff with psychic handicaps” led by Solène Métayer, a human resources professional active in the health network. The programme included a map highlighting the diversity of handicaps that exist, particularly those considered to be invisible, such as neuro-divergencies. All in all, a way to promote research of real practical use that enables these issues to be better managed within companies.