Campaign wants bosses to try wheelchairs at work

Business leaders are being asked to spend "a day in my wheels" as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the difficulties people with spinal injuries face in the workplace. 

Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII)

Spinal Injuries Ireland are seeking 50 prominent people across business, sport, politics and entertainment to get first- hand experience of using a wheelchair.

Suzanne Feeney, Managing Director for Robert Walters Ireland, features in The Business Post on the 23rd of February 2020 speaking about how she got involved in the campaign after a friend of hers struggled to return to work after suffering a spinal injury. "I have worked in recruitment for 25 years and have seen people changing jobs relatively easily every single day, but when you consider someone with a spinal injury and how they struggle to return to work or get a new job, it makes you think", she said. 

"Employers think they are creating diverse workplaces because there are more people from international backgrounds or different sexual orientations, but I think that unless workplaces become more accommodating to people with disabilities, they can't be truly diverse". 

About the initiative 

Every week, three people in Ireland sustain a spinal cord injury and only 30 percent of them return to work after re-habilitation, according to SII. On May 14th, the 50 people who take part will complete their daily routine in a wheelchair. SII head of corporate fundraising Sharon Dagg said that the participants would learn the difficulties people with spinal injuries face every day. 

"You will learn a different way of dealing with every day situations such as opening doors, crossing roads and even moving about your own home", Dagg said. 

You can read more here or find out more about the work carried out by Spinal Injuries Ireland. 

If you would like to know more about this initiative, please contact Suzanne Feeney on +353 1 673 0812