Accor

Detailed plan of activities related to the European Year of People with Disabilities

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Raising awareness of employment and integration on a European level

Accor places a special emphasis on recruiting people with disabilities into the heart of its personnel.

• In France, Accor’s department for the recruitment of people with disabilities has produced a video entitled ‘Moi aussi, je travaille chez Accor’ (‘Me too, I work for Accor’). Through interviews with people with various disabilities who occupy a range of positions, and with their colleagues, this video is used to train, inform and raise awareness amongst potential recruiters within the group (e.g. hotel directors, heads of services…). Other materials such as an information leaflet have also been produced.
• Accor wishes to adapt these materials in order for them to be of use in other European countries, to encourage the employment of people with disabilities, and is willing to make them available to other partners.
• Human Resources policy: The European Forum for People with Disabilities will provide an overview of the different legislation existing in European countries regarding the recruitment of people with disabilities. Following this, Accor could adapt its human resources policy in the different member states of the European Union.

Developing reduced mobility access to new hotels in Europe

• In all specifications for new Accor hotels to be built, Accor will include strict requirements to improve access for people with reduced mobility
• Accor is open to sharing experiences and receiving suggestions of better practices from associations and from people with reduced mobility who use the group’s hotels, with a view to studying improvements which could be made during new construction and renovation work
• The European Forum for People with Disabilities could advise Accor on these actions

The European “Welcome” project: an experiment into customer welcome

• Accor has formed a partnership with the federation Groupement Français des Personnes Handicapées (GFPH) and Etre, a magazine specialising in disability issues. Together we have submitted a proposal to the French co-ordination committee for the EYPD, presenting an experimental project focussing on customer welcome. Rather than concentrating on physical accessibility to hotels, this project will focus on the relations between client and host, highlighting the fact that the ultimate needs of clients with disabilities are the same as any client. This project could well interest other companies dealing with similar situations of welcoming clients.
  
• The “Welcome” project will involve 4 main activities:
  1. A survey in establishments that employ people with disabilities: to observe the effect that working with a colleague with disabilities has on the way that staff welcome clients who have disabilities
  2. Mystery client survey: members of GFPH with various disabilities will test out different establishments
  3. Production of training aids: trainers from GFPH and Accor, together with specialists from Etre will work together to produce training materials (e.g. CD-Rom/video/leaflet) to raise awareness amongst people working in hospitality positions (e.g. hosts and receptionists of hotels, restaurant staff, travel and reservation agents...)
  4. Conferences to raise awareness amongst other companies and people involved in disability issues