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 weve 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 wouldnt even consider them
separately, - according to GSDs 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 Banks
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

