On December 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), we organized an event that focused on "Disability: Inclusion, Familiarization, and Activation." This entailed listening to the stories of three remarkable people.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IPPD) is observed every year on December 3rd and it was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability, and the employment rate for people with disabilities tends to be lower than that of the general population in many countries.
A just energy transition
At the same time, the company is fully committed to a just energy transition, in which equal opportunity and inclusion are fundamental. Building the world of tomorrow means enabling the coexistence of all cultures, ages, skills and abilities, as well as encouraging a corporate culture of diversity and equality. Through the company’s business activities and initiatives for a more sustainable future, everyone at the company shows their responsibility, not only to the environment, but to the community, their fellow human beings and the next generations.
In order to further enhance its focus on equality for everyone, and to create awareness of this important social issue, the company invited Chrysella Lagaria, Angelos Pentaris and Christiana Tambouratzi to its offices in Athens for a frank and open discussion about the lives of persons with disabilities.
Personal stories
The three speakers at the event talked about their personal stories and the challenges they face in their daily lives. Chrysella Lagaria has been blind since birth and works for the integration of people with partial or total vision loss. She is the co-founder of Black Light, a business that focuses on inclusion. Angelos Pentaris, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia at the age of just four months, went on to make his dream come true when he managed to study music and become a drummer. Christianna Tambouratzi, on the other hand, is the mother of two children with disabilities who follow therapeutic programs at the Hatzipatereio Center for Rehabilitation and Support of Children.
The speakers shared their own personal experiences, discussing their daily efforts to overcome obstacles and discrimination, but they also talked about the importance of informing everyone about disability and its conditions, and the need for all of us to understand that we are part of the same civil society in which respect and equality are essential.
Building bridges
"Our society struggles to absorb the fact that we don't all have to be the same in order to fit in. Our goal is to build bridges between people, both blind and sighted, in order to create a more inclusive world for everyone. We invite everyone to provide job openings and to include blind people when designing products and services. What is happening today should only be the first step towards change," said Chrysella Lagaria, while Angelos Pentaris added: "The goal is for everyone to understand that having a disability does not mean being afraid, and to change the perception of some people that disability equals weakness. When we share what we have experienced with other people, we hope that they will not only be empowered by our stories, but that they will also understand that they can build a life they love to live." Last but not least, Christiana Tambouratzi emphasized that “We can all make our own effort for children with disabilities, not only those of us who live with them in our homes. Any one of us could be in my position."
Creating Shared Value
In 2022, the company became the first renewable energy company in Greece to sign the European Union Diversity Charter. It is also supporting organizations such as the Hatzipatereio Center, and it is helping table tennis player George Mouchtis in his bid to qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. The company is continuing, in every way, to actively promote the elimination of discrimination in the social environment. These initiatives are fully aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the initiative for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is part of SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.
