Fujitsu Ireland announces partnership with the National Council for the Blind

Tony O'Malley and Chris White

Fujitsu has announced that the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) will become the company’s official charity partner. The partnership, which will last for two years, will see the ICT provider and charity actively collaborate on a number of volunteering, technical and advocacy initiatives to benefit people with sight loss.

As part of its ongoing work, the NCBI aims to reduce the unemployment rate of working age people with sight loss, an overall goal that is reflected in the main elements of the partnership which include the following.

  • Awareness Session:NCBI will hold interactive sessionsfor Fujitsu employees designed to increase awareness and understanding of sight loss, teach sighted guide training and offer the opportunity to experience living with sight loss via simulation. The workshops will also serve to identify accessibility barriers and potential solutions.
  • Disability Training:NCBI will host interactive training sessions designed to support Fujitsu employees in becoming more inclusive of employees with disabilities.
  • Skill Share and Visionary Workshops:Fujitsu will work with NCBI to organise a series of workshops to provide people with sight loss the opportunity to discover what employers are looking for, as well as sharing skills in areas such as communications and finance.
  • Work Placement Programme:Building on the awareness and disability training programme, Fujitsu and NCBI will work to develop a platform that offers people with sight loss an opportunity to bridge the gap between education and employment via tangible work placements opportunities.

Fujitsu employees will also collaborate to produce audio recordings of well-known publications which will add to the 16,000 titles already available to people with sight loss from NCBI’s national Braille, audio and large print library.

Commenting on the partnership, Tony O’Malley CEO Fujitsu Ireland stated; “This is a very positive new relationship for Fujitsu Ireland. We strive to provide technology solutions that are human centric for people’s everyday lives, and we are delighted to work with an organisation that is making a difference to people and broader communities all over Ireland. This will be an active partnership as there is a great deal we can learn from the NCBI in enabling people with sight loss to realise their potential within the work environment.”

NCBI Quote

Chris White, CEO of NCBI said; “There are 51,718 people with sight loss in Ireland and the unemployment rate is as high as 84%, which is shocking. People with sight loss want to fully participate in society and we aim to break down some of the barriers that stand in their way. We are excited to begin a two-year partnership with a solution-focused company likeFujitsu and we are confident that it will benefit both of our organisations as we share knowledge and expertise to drive change.”

ENDS

For Further Information

Róisín Maxwell

[email protected] / 01 2710127

About Fujitsu Ireland Ltd

Fujitsu is one of the world’s largest ICT companies, offering a complete range of products, services and solutions. With approximately 159,000 employees globally and 350 in Ireland, Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries every day. We work with clients in the private and public sectors including retail, financial services, telecoms, government, and consumer sectors to harness the full range of our technology products, solutions and services. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers.

We believe that true innovation comes from working with people to create solutions for people. Together with customers and partners, we are shaping a world where everyone, everywhere is empowered with digital technology. We call it Human Centric Innovation.

For further information please see http://www.fujitsu.com/ie/

NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) is Ireland’s national charity working for the rising number of people affected by sight loss. It’s practical and emotional advice and supports help 8,000 people and their families face their futures with confidence every year. NCBI advocates for people with sight loss to have the same rights, opportunities and choices as others.  www.ncbi.ie