- UniCredit Bank Austria is honoured as an inclusive workplace in the "Workplace" category
- After winning the Zero Project Award for "SmartBanking in Sign Language", this international award once again demonstrates UniCredit Bank Austria's commitment to fostering accessibility and inclusion.
UniCredit Bank Austria was presented with the internationally renowned Disability Matters Award 2018 in Switzerland as the model workplace for the integration of employees with disabilities. This award is one of the most coveted and important international awards in the field of accessibility and inclusion. UniCredit Bank Austria at present employs more than 300 people with disabilities, making it one of only 22 per cent of domestic companies that do not have to pay compensation tax. Since 2010, an internal Disability Management system has been in place that has been used by top management to centrally manage and deal with the challenges that arise and to support the sustainable sensitisation of all employees to the needs and challenges of people with disabilities.
"Today, UniCredit Bank Austria is the leading company in Austria and the leading financial services provider in continental Europe, in the areas of accessibility and inclusion for both customers and employees," says Robert Zadrazil, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria. "We are convinced that even employees with disabilities can achieve 100 percent efficiency if they are deployed correctly and supported with the necessary aids. That is why it was and is particularly important for us to recruit people with disabilities not on the basis of their disability, but on the basis of their abilities, for exactly the position for which they are most suitable".
Excellent accessibility for employees and customers
UniCredit Bank Austria was already awarded the Zero Project Award for barrier-free and innovative digital banking services, such as SmartBanking in sign language (advice via video telephony in sign language), donated by the Essl Foundation in February of this year. The Zero Project Award is one of the most important prizes for accessibility in Austria. The Disability Matters Award also honours the exemplary integration of employees with disabilities by UniCredit Bank Austria.
Disability commitment based on social responsibility and economic necessity
"Approximately 20 percent of the population, i.e. about 1.7 million people, are affected by permanent restrictions," emphasises Robert Zadrazil, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria, "demographic developments alone will cause this figure to grow significantly in the coming years. As an all-purpose bank, however, we must be selectable for all customers."
Christian Schinko, Disability Manager at UniCredit Bank Austria, adds: "For leading companies such as UniCredit Bank Austria, inclusion and accessibility are not only a question of social commitment, but above all a question of economic necessity. However, these two aspects do not have to be mutually exclusive, but can complement each other perfectly." To support these concerns, UniCredit Bank Austria also relies on a 60-person Disability Network within the company.
You can find out more about the commitment of UniCredit Bank Austria at: www.barrierefrei.bankaustria.at
About the Springboard Disability Matters Award
Disability Matters is one of the most important corporate events in the field of Disability worldwide. The coveted awards and conferences take place annually in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. These awards are given to companies around the world that lead the way in the end-to-end consideration of disability in three categories: Workforce, Workplace and/or Marketplace. These award-winning initiatives will be publicly celebrated during the award ceremony. In addition, the conference offers experts from business, science, government and the national non-profit sector the opportunity to exchange ideas.