Open Mic - The Open Doors Initiative Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Employers for Change is an Open Doors Initiative programme dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes navigate the world of disability, inclusion and confidence. Through engaging conversations with experts, we tackle common misconceptions and dive deep into the latest technology, policy and best practices that can transform your company's culture. 

In this episode, Mohamed is joined by Eoin O'Herlihy from Access Consultancy to discuss how the implementation of reasonable accommodations can aid the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

Eoin is the Managing Director of O’ Herlihy Access Consultancy (OHAC). He is a recognised leader in the field of accessibility and Universal Design. He has been an advocate for improving standards in accessibility and disability inclusion for over 20 years. The driving force behind Eoin’s work has been the lived experience of disability of a close family member.

Eoin founded OHAC in 2007. He previously worked in the National Disability Authority as Built Environment Accessibility Coordinator. The Company has grown significantly since its early days. It now offers a comprehensive range of access advisory services, from accessible organisation consultancy to design and construction Universal Design and building compliance advisory services, to training services for a wide range of clients in Ireland and Internationally. 

Eoin recognises that the barriers faced by people with disabilities and other user groups come in many forms (physical (e.g. public realm), attitudinal, technological, communication, transport, and employment) and aims to support organisations around the world  to remove these barriers and create a more inclusive society. 

OHAC are currently working with a number of national and international public sector and corporate clients developing frameworks and strategies to promote inclusive workplaces. Part of our role includes: Benchmarking; creating roadmaps; stakeholder engagement; General and tailored disability awareness training (e.g. HR; Products and services; Inclusive workplaces; Technology and Buildings and Estates); Audits of existing workplaces; advice on new offices; general advice on Universal Design.

Employers for Change is a programme of the Open Doors Initiative, funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The service empowers employers with all the information and advice needed to hire, employ, manage and retain staff with disabilities.

Contact Employers for Change at info@employersforchange.ie or check our website for more information

Employers for Change is an Open Doors Initiative programme dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes navigate the world of disability, inclusion and confidence. Through engaging conversations with experts, we tackle common misconceptions and dive deep into the latest technology, policy and best practices that can transform your company's culture.

In this episode, Mohamed speaks to Bobbie Hickey from Mr. Price to discuss the most common misconceptions about employing people with disabilities and what can be done to address these.

Bobbie Hickey is the Equality Diversity Inclusion People officer for Mr Price Branded Bargains. This is an area that Bobbie is extremely passionate about as she is a  proud blind person, and so has plenty of lived experience when is comes to discrimination and barriers in the workplace. In many ways, Bobbie has been very lucky, this combined with her desire to make change means that she is determined to spread awareness and educate others on all things D&I related, both in and out of the workplace. 

Employers for Change is a programme of the Open Doors Initiative, funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The service empowers employers with all the information and advice needed to hire, employ, manage and retain staff with disabilities.

Contact Employers for Change at info@employersforchange.ie or check our website for more information 

Episode: Brian Pennie, Specialist in resilience, keynote speaker, neuroscientist and author
Brian chats with Hogai about his personal journey and what it has taught him about personal awareness of your hopes and motivations. They discuss the importance of education along with emotional regulation and communication to navigate the stresses in life, as well as how technology can be both a challenge and an opportunity.
Visit Brian’s website for more information and follow him on Instagram and LinkedIn

Open Mic is a new podcast presented by the Open Doors Initiative which explores the challenges and opportunities of the working world from the perspectives of marginalised communities. The podcast takes the form of short interview segments with individuals who will share their lived experiences and insights.

Guest Host
Introducing Hogai asefi Wardak. Born in Kabul Afghanistan in 2001, the youngest of her family, with 4 sisters and 2 brothers. A family where she could see her older sisters not getting what they wanted in their lives, not reaching their wishes and goals, because her father had never allowed or permitted, and never had an open mind for women to engage, work and participate in community, at that time in their country. 

In 2016, she graduated from high school and was enrolled in Kabul University. She started working with Zan TV, which is a specialized tv network for women. She started to host programmes dealing with Women’s empowerment, Women and sports and various social programmes. 

She also established an educational community for children, to help women and youngsters to get jobs, by joining POOHA NGO and worked with NATO. She’s still working with Zan TV on screen.

Open Doors Initiative

• ODI’s key mission is to enable equitable access to employment for marginalised people
• We create pathways to work through training, education, employment and entrepreneurship.
• Collaborative network of over 125 partner organisations
• Together we carry out training, work experience, mentoring, research and reduce barriers for people who are marginalised
• We helped nearly 74,000 people on pathways to work in five years

Visit https://opendoorsinitiative.ie for more information and follow us on social media including Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube

In this episode, Jeanne speaks with IPS Employment specialists Dan White & Niamh Lawless.

Jeanne speaks with Shubanghi Karmakar about her work as a researcher, advocate, educator and journalist.

Jeanne speaks to Dil from Inside Matters about social justice and mental health.

Vivian Rath is a post-doctoral researcher in Trinity College Dublin. We discussed the barriers faced by people with disabilities in getting into employment and some of the supports that can help.

Gary Gannon is a member of the Social Democrats and a TD for Dublin Central. Gary grew up in the inner city and has lived experience of some of the barriers people face in getting into work.

Ghada Fedaway is the founder of EmployRefugees.com, a matching organisation between refugees' talents and Irish companies.