- 2019/07/01
- 7 min
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3
Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance is committed to changing how disabilities are perceived
CA Consumer Finance rises to the challenge
This year, 14 employees from the Massy, Roubaix, Paris, Bordeaux and Marseilles offices, representing seven CA Consumer Finance departments, volunteered to have an intern with a disability shadow them for a day. As such, these interns were able to discover the client advisor, payroll administrator, human resources officer, researcher, accountant, client portfolio officer and internal communications officer positions. The experience included a lot of sharing and was, at times, emotional, but a beautiful bond was formed with these one-day interns.
“Adapting, being open-minded, sharing… During DuoDay, I learned as much about myself as about my partner. This experience was as valuable professionally as personally! I became aware of the daily reality of a person with a disability and of the long road ahead to include them in the workplace, especially in terms of accessibility.”
DuoDay: a winning duo
Founded in Ireland in 2008, DuoDay is a European initiative and takes place once a year in France. The objective of the day is to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. The concept is simple: a “duo” is created between a volunteer employee and a person with a disability. On the agenda: job discovery, active participation and immersion in the company.
This initiative, which raises awareness about disabilities, is as fulfilling for companies as it is for interns and creates new opportunities. Employers, whether companies, corporations, associations or other structures, are made aware of the professional skills and qualities of disabled people, open their minds to diversity and disabilities in particular, and reinforce in an exemplary manner the social policies their company has already committed to. As for the people with disabilities, DuoDay provides an opportunity to gain insight into a work environment and a profession, and explore career interests and start the integration process.
In total, 12,000 duos were formed throughout France in 2019 enabling the breaking down of boundaries and the rising above prejudices. CA Consumer Finance twosomes unanimously preached that this was “an experience to take part in again and again”, embodying Commitment and Team spirit, two of the four values of the company.
