David Corkery Speaks at Disability Seminar Held in Dell’s Cork Campus

27th February 2014

The Association for Higher Education Access and Disability’s (AHEAD) Annual Spring seminar was addressed by Cork man David Corkery, the former Munster and Ireland Rugby International. The seminar, which took place on Thursday February 27th at Dell Ireland’s Cork campus at Citygate Park Mahon, facilitated a discussion of the importance of accommodating disability in the workplace.

In his keynote speech, David Corkery described his own battle with depression, while highlighting the benefits of providing graduates with disabilities with access to vital work experience and employment. The aim of the seminar was to promote the acceptance of disabilities and mental health issues in the workplace and to foster a culture of openness.

Dell is one of the companies which engage with AHEAD by participating in its Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme, offering mentored, paid work placements for graduates with disabilities across all departments. “We support the breaking down of barriers to show the great qualities and abilities these graduates with disabilities have,” said John O’Mara, EMEA Finance Director at Dell Software and Cork site leader.

To date, the AHEAD WAM Programme has provided more than 175 placements for graduates with disabilities and has worked with a dynamic network of employers across Ireland. WAM is unique in that it seeks to engage and support employers in order to simultaneously develop the potential of employers and graduates with disabilities.

Speaking at the seminar Ann Heelan, Executive Director of AHEAD, said, “AHEAD is delighted to work in collaboration with leaders in diversity such as Dell – they understand that disability in the workplace is also relevant at graduate level. They want the best and graduates with disabilities can deliver”.

ENDS

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