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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 Siobhan Long from Enable Ireland to discuss how businesses can leverage Assistive Technology to break down barriers and better include individuals with disabilities in the workplace. 

Siobhan has worked in the field of Assistive Technology since 1991. Siobhan’s current role involves management of Enable Ireland's National Assistive Technology Training Service. Technology is changing rapidly and the services’s  goal is to ensure that those who can benefit from what it has to offer, can gain access to it in a timely manner. 

In 2016, Siobhan began a partnership with the Disability Federation of Ireland, resulting in the publication of Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities and Older People: A Discussion Paper. This partnership is now called FreedomTech, and a key component of this partnership is CHAT: Community Hub for Assistive Technology, a community of practice which involves a wide range of stakeholders and meets at least 3 times/year. 

Siobhán has been working intensively on an advocacy and lobbying programme, to promote the adoption of the recommendations contained in the Discussion Paper. Chief among these are the establishment of a national AT Passport, to address the significant gaps in service provision as AT users transition through life. Enable Ireland and the Disability Federation of Ireland are now leading a partnership project to pilot an AT Passport.

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 [email protected] 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 we are joined by Denis Doolan, Head of People Experience at AIB, to discuss how businesses can cultivate an inclusive work environment.

Denis has over 25 years’ experience in national, international and global roles.  He joined AIB as Head of Inclusion & Diversity in June 2021.  More recently he also took on responsibility for AIB’s Culture, Wellbeing and Engagement programmes and is an interim member of the HR Senior Management Team.  

Prior to AIB, Denis worked at Special Olympics International, where he set up a Leadership Academy and was a member of the Global Leadership Team.  Before that he ran his own consultancy business, providing project management, strategic planning and learning & development services for corporate clients such as Allianz Care, Credit Agricole and Fexco and non-profit clients including Rehab Group and the FAI.  

Denis’s early career was in Public Relations and Event Management, including working on multiple Olympic Games, and he has lectured at UCD, TU Dublin and Dublin Business School.

Denis is on the Boards of Kerry Respite Care and the Open Doors Initiative, and also volunteers with Killarney Lions Club, Autism Friendly Killarney and Kilcummin.

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 [email protected] or check our website for more information  

Episode: Bernard Joyce and Pat Stokes from the Irish Traveller Movement
Bernard and Pat share their experiences growing up as proud Travellers, the discrimination they faced, how things are changing but still have a long way to go. They discuss opportunities for Travellers, including the apprenticeship programme and the importance of education in realising your full potential, but also how employers can do more to engage with Travellers in the workplace. For more information about ITM, visit https://itmtrav.ie/ phone 01 679 6577 or email [email protected]

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

Episode: Toluwani Akaehomen, Entrepreneur, Executive Coach, Leadership & People Development Consultant
Toluwani shares her background and the challenges she faced in the hiring process, which led her to starting her own business and becoming a successful entrepreneur. She and Hogai discuss the mindset and opportunities involved in striking out on your own, the importance of finding networks and connections to build your business.
Visit her website Vantage Dymensions and her LinkedIn profile

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

Episode: Siobhán Cafferty, Social Enterprise Project Manager for the Irish criminal justice sector
Siobhán speaks with Hogai about her path to becoming involved in advocating for those with a criminal past, the stigmas faced and the lack of self confidence many feel when attempting to find employment, as well as major logistical barriers when attempting to start their own business. She discusses how employers could take a more open-minded hiring approach, to see people for their potential and not just their past.

Siobhán Cafferty is currently the Funder Liaison & Business Delivery Manager, with a special interest in social enterprise and innovation, working in Pobal. Until the end of 2023, Siobhán was the Social Enterprise Project Manager for the Criminal Justice Sector in Ireland working on behalf of the Department of Justice. Having developed the ‘Working to Change social enterprise and employment strategy 2021- 2023’ for the Department, she led out on its implementation. Siobhán is dedicated to improving the infrastructure to support social enterprises to ensure those furthest from the labour market are afforded the opportunity to work. In recognition of her work, Siobhán was named on the Top 100 list of women in social enterprise 2022 in Europe as part of the Euclid Network. 

Prior to these roles, Siobhán was the CEO of the Bridge Project, a Probation funded community-based organisation working with adult male violent offenders in the Liberties, Dublin. Siobhán has dedicated her career to ensuring those most marginalised from education and employment, for whatever reason, are afforded opportunities to make sustainable changes to their lives and become active citizens.

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&

Episode: Minister Neale Richmond TD
Hogai speaks with Neale Richmond, Minister of State with responsibility for Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance, previously the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Business, and the Department of Social Protection. They discuss the challenges facing migrants and refugees in Ireland, including work permits, housing and accreditation, as well as available government supports.
Visit the Oireachteas website for the Minister's contact details.  

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

Episode: Melissa Bosch, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, EY Ireland
Melissa speaks with Hogai about growing up in South Africa, her formative experiences and how she found herself in Ireland, forging a new path. They discuss challenges faced in the workplace and the importance of embedding diversity, equity and inclusion at the core of business, rather than an afterthought that can be discarded in challenging times. Visit EY Ireland and Melissa on 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

 Episode: Joy-Tendai Kangere, Barrister, advocate and lecturer
Joy-Tendai speaks with Hogai about her childhood on the continent of Africa and the impact of education and justice that led to a lifelong ambition to become a barrister. They discuss the challenges of racism in school and workplace settings, as a woman and migrant in Ireland, as well as the importance of finding community in a new home.
Visit Joy-Tendai on LinkedIn

• 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