Half-Day Disability Awareness Event

at Becker France

Already working in partnership with ESAT Le Chêne for laundry and ironing services, Becker France wanted to further its commitment to the professional inclusion of people with disabilities by offering its team a half-day disability awareness event. On the agenda: a presentation of Handisport Richebourg association, a lunch prepared by Le Cercle in partnership with ESAT l’Envol and a one-hour awareness session on the topic.

At lunchtime, all 27 of our employees gathered in our warehouse, where we had set up a space for demonstrations of boccia and blowpipe shooting. Boccia, similar to pétanque, is a parasport where seated players throw red or blue balls close to a white ball called the "jack." Balls can be thrown by hand, foot, or, for certain disabilities, using a ramp. Blowpipe shooting, combining darts and target practice, is a parasport where the seated player blows through a blowpipe to launch three darts at a target a few meters away. A stabilizing stand can be used to hold the blowpipe, and removed to increase difficulty. Of course, this wasn’t just a demonstration — our team actively participated! Meanwhile, we had ordered meals from ESAT Le Cercle so everyone could enjoy a friendly lunch around these parasport activities.

We then split our team into three small groups for a session led by Ingrid MUCCIGNATO, a specialist in disability awareness, which proved to be rich in essential insights. She highlighted that disability goes far beyond the stereotypes we sometimes hold — such as automatically associating it with a wheelchair. In fact, only 5% of people with disabilities use a wheelchair. She also addressed sensory, psychological, cognitive, and mental disabilities, emphasizing that 80% of disabilities are invisible — a fact that challenges our perceptions. This kind of awareness is crucial to understanding that an invisible disability, such as diabetes, deafness, or a debilitating illness, can be declared to the M.D.P.H.* to obtain R.Q.T.H.* This opens the door to appropriate workplace accommodations, such as ergonomic chairs or specialized software, to fully support employees in their roles.

* Departmental House for Disabled Persons

* Recognition of the Status of Disabled Worker