This year’s theme is invisible disability, which currently accounts for 80% of disability situations. The aim of Natixis’ Handi’Days staff initiative is to raise awareness and remind us all that disability and employment can go hand-in-hand.

This year’s program includes meetings, workshops and an online game to help challenge stereotypes and promote the right behavior.

Meeting

We have asked Alixe Bornon to kick off our campaign this year – Alixe dreamt up the Les Belles Envies brand, which makes cakes with a low glycemic index.

Alixe found out that she had type 1 diabetes at a young age, and this invisible disability meant she had to be very careful about what she ate and check her blood sugar levels several times a day.

She decided that she still wanted to enjoy cakes and chocolate, so with support from a doctor she set up her own brand to offer diabetes sufferers a range of products with a low glycemic index.

Her slogan is “Ditch sugar, but not your cravings” (“Oubliez le sucre, pas vos envies”), which reflects both her struggle with diabetes and her aim to be able to treat herself regardless.

Events

DYS challenges

What exactly are dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia? We have organized a fun and informative event so staff can find out more and help experience and understand these disorders.

All about cancer

Staff can also visit our exhibition on cancer and find out how we help manage illness at work to lift the taboos around the disease.

Talent quiz

This game tests staff’s general knowledge and helps them find out about some unexpected celebrities’ disabilities in just a short space of time i.e. sports personalities, musicians, actors, politicians, etc.

Storytime

Employees can listen to our storytellers and challenge their perception of disability and the stereotypes surrounding it.

On-line game

Our “What kind of colleague are you?” online game gives staff an opportunity to look at questions of diversity and disability and find out their profile. 

This is a fun way to learn how to behave when faced with difference.

Human capital is our company’s key advantage: beyond ethical aspects, diversity drives performance, innovation and staff engagement. 

As part of our Diversity and Inclusion policy, we seek to ensure professional fulfilment for all our staff and take on board their differences to help them feel comfortable in a group setting.

Our decision to sign the Diversity charter and our disability agreement are part of the company’s social and responsible approach.

The disability agreement helps promote support for our staff when they have health problems that affect their work, and also encourages recruitment of employees with disabilities, and the use of protected worker sectors.

Our network of disability support staff and experts across our business lines are on hand to implement our disability policy on a daily basis.