The Inclusive Circular Economy is one more step within the current trend in the world of the circular economy, which is committed to a business model with a triple function (economic, environmental and social) to guarantee future sustainability for all the people of the planet. Its principles are:

• Preserve natural capital. Make use of natural resources, such as tides, wind and sun, as they are naturally restored more quickly and impact less on the environment.
• Inclusive participation. The circular economy generates all kinds of opportunities to include people with disabilities in the workplace. People with disabilities are an excellent asset that companies should not give up. Their strong commitment and motivation, their different ways of acting and seeing things make them very efficient workers and generators of a good work environment. The Companies that have people with disabilities in their workforce promote sustainability and social inclusion without giving up profitability.
• Optimize the use of resources. We live on a planet in which the natural resources to which there is access are limited and likely to be exhausted (fresh water, gas, oil,…). Therefore, we must optimize its use and carry out actions that guarantee reduction, recycling and reuse.
• Prioritize accessibility. In the linear economic model, speed and appearance prevail and there are many obstacles and barriers for people to with disabilities access the labor market. Prejudices, unconscious biases, training and information or the lack of accessibility, both physical and mental, stop companies from hiring people with disabilities. On the contrary, the Inclusive Circular Economy is committed to taking advantage of the talent and opportunity offered by people with disabilities. Universal accessibility is the tool to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully and safely in the world of work on equal terms.
• Reduced environmental impact. The key to caring for the environment is to reduce the amount of waste we generate. The emission of greenhouse gases and CO2 into the atmosphere must be reduced, which increase pollution and pollution in cities and damage the ozone layer, causing a great impact on people.
• Product repair. In general, all products, and mainly mechanical and technological ones, break down over time. But it is also common that, for reasons of fashion and marketing, they are replaced even when they are in operation or are thrown away without attempting to repair them. A simple fix or part change can keep them running longer. This action contributes to maintaining the circularity of the entire economy. It is important to prevent a product that can still work from ending up in the trash early; repairs and second-hand use should be prioritized. Furthermore, these activities would generate a good number of inclusive jobs.
• Bet on elongation. Lengthening, which advocates extending the use of products with efficiency and correctness, should prevail over planned obsolescence, which sets an expiration or use date on products and invites them to change and consume quickly. In this way, the amount of waste is reduced. Furthermore, when creating products and services, ecodesign will be chosen, which is based on practices ranging from The use of biodegradable materials allows defective parts to be replaced or repaired to prolong the life of the product. It’s about people having fewer things, but they are more durable and respectful.

To carry out all these issues, it is essential to involve all citizens and have their participation. This activity must have a global conception and cover the entire diversity of the population without leaving out people with disabilities, who also have the right and obligation. Considering that training and awareness on the matter must also be done in an accessible way to reach all people.

Source: NAN Architecture

The prestigious American institution Centro Viscardi has announced the Henry Viscardi Achievement 2023 awards, among which it has distinguished the director of Accessibility and Innovation of the ONCE Foundation, Jesús Hernández.

The Viscardi Center is a pioneering institution committed to the education, employability and empowerment of people with disabilities in the United States. As recognized by the institution, these awards are intended to honor people with disabilities who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities and have made significant contributions to their communities.

In the case of Jesús Hernández, his leadership in “pioneering” projects in Spain and Europe stands out. Under his direction, Fundación ONCE has reached a significant number of agreements with numerous entities that have allowed the promotion of projects that improve the autonomy of people with disabilities. Additionally, he has played a key role in the formation of the European Accessibility Centre, AccessibleEU. The Center is supported by the European Commission and its objective is to harmonize accessibility policies in the European Union. Its commitment lies in making society inclusive, guaranteeing accessible environments, products and services.”

It also highlights its commitment to “user-centered technology, exceeding the limits of robotics, medicine and everyday tasks, ultimately improving the quality of life of people with disabilities.” And it ends by highlighting how “accessibility is not just a concept but a tangible reality, which reduces the gap for people with disabilities and promotes an inclusive society.”

Together with Jesús Hernández, the work of Pakistani Afshan Afridi, from the Collective Alliance for the Rights of Young Girls with Disabilities, has also been recognized; Alex Elegudin, Advocates for Children; Mindy Henderson, Muscular Dystrophy Association; Peter Thomas, of Powers Law Firm, and Constantine “Gus” Zografopoulos, of Z Life.

Source: SERVIMEDIA

The ONCE Foundation, the Royal Board of Trustees on Disability and the UNED come together to produce open, free, quality educational resources accessible to all people. Each student can also obtain recognition or accreditation for the merits achieved. The offer will gradually cover all disciplines in which Universal Design has implications.

The Channel offers training in the knowledge and skills necessary to design products, environments, systems and services from a universal design perspective.

Courses with open enrollment at this time are:

• How to train in design for all people:

Society would be more inclusive if each professional thought about how all people function, before designing and offering their services. From the educational field, future professionals must be trained so that they become aware and work also taking into account, on the one hand, limitations in functioning and support needs, and on the other, the rights of people with disabilities. To achieve this, teachers also need training and support. This course offers information and resources on aspects related to inclusive education and reasonable adjustments, on Design for All and Universal Design for Learning, also offering tools to implement this training in classrooms, that is: how can Teachers train on design for all people, on disabilities, in their subjects.

• Accessible housing

The home must be a place adapted to the needs of all its inhabitants. The coexistence in the same family unit of children, the elderly, adults, among whom there may be people with disabilities, requires that the spaces be adapted to the needs and activities of each of the family members.

This course offers alternatives to consider renovating the interior of a house or purchasing its furniture taking into account all its inhabitants.

• Disability and Active Legal Defense (in collaboration with State CERMI)

Legal security allows us to live with the peace of mind of being protected by laws and institutions, which guarantee the defense of our rights. Although all citizens are equal before the law, people with disabilities see their rights violated more frequently. In this sense, this course is aimed at helping students learn to identify situations of discrimination and violence, and know the tools and rules for reporting them.

The goal of the course is for students to obtain a broad vision of Human Rights and in particular the rights of people with disabilities and their families. Also of the legal, advocacy, and communication instruments and tools to claim these rights from a legal and social point of view.

• Accessibility in healthcare public

Currently, customer service and the general public do not meet the necessary conditions to satisfy the diversity of user needs and preferences. This creates inequality and means that many people are left without resolving problems or doubts they may have regarding the service offered. In addition, it produces dissatisfaction and reduces customer loyalty. Likewise, it can cause the organization to receive a high number of complaints or reports of discrimination and this can affect loyalty.

This course offers a description of the various profiles of clients and users, paying particular attention to people with disabilities who have certain accessibility needs. Likewise, it presents the guidelines for effective attention to the public with disabilities.

All these courses can be taken until March 24, 2024.

More information: ONCE Foundation Channel at UNED

ONCE Foundation is looking for ‘startups’ that work in the field of disabilities or older people and that have some experience in the market to help them address their main growth challenges and thus improve their quality of life.

To make this possible, the entity presents a renewed version of its acceleration program, which from now on will be called growth, and which aims to support the evolution of the business fabric in the field of disability and older people . The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with PwC.

“At Fundación ONCE we have been promoting the acceleration of projects and startups related to disability for years. What previous editions have taught us is that these projects, in addition to collaborating in improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, allow us to generate business models and solutions that provide innovation, talent and improvements to the entire society,” explains Jesús Hernández, director of Accessibility and Innovation at Fundación ONCE. “With the launch of this growth program,” he continues, “we want to continue being a key player, an engine of growth in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of disabilities and older people.”

From this perspective, the ONCE Foundation Business Growth Program looks for companies in the field of disabilities or older people that have a certain history in the market and are in a growth phase to help them at this stage.

The program will have a team of growth experts who will advise companies through the development of specific projects tailored to their needs. It will focus, therefore, on finding solutions to the barriers that prevent them from growing more quickly. Companies will thus have a specific and personalized service that resolves any need related to the business, the structure of the company or its capital.

The growth program will have an estimated duration of between 8 and 12 weeks, although it may be increased for some more time if considered necessary.

The deadline to request participation in this business growth initiative ends on March 8 and those interested in submitting applications can do so now through the following link https://www.fundaciononce.es/es/programa-de -foundation-growth-on…

The ONCE Foundation Business Acceleration Program, which is the seed of growth, has supported the promotion of more than fifteen innovative projects capable of impacting the improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities in their four editions. These include, for example, Showee – a company that designs and manufactures eco-smart and accessible shower columns that transform the showering experience for people with reduced mobility – or Depencare – a service company that seeks to guarantee quality care and access to caregivers in the most depopulated areas of Spanish territory -.

Source: ONCE Foundation