Underlining their commitment to providing an open, inclusive and accessible workplace for all staff, Citi Belfast has announced that it is now a ‘JAM Card friendly business,’ having undertaken JAM Card training for its internal teams.
JAM Card allows people with a hidden disability or communication barrier to tell others that they need extra time and understanding in a private and easy way.
The training rolled out to every Citi Belfast employee provides an overview of JAM Card, as well as how to identify and address barriers in the best way possible - promoting a diverse, accessible and inclusive workplace for all.
Citi aims to have 75% of employees complete the training by the end of July 2022 to become JAM card certified.
The JAM Card was originally developed for those with learning disabilities and difficulties but it can also be used by anyone with a communication barrier. It has been widely embraced by people with Asperger’s or autism, those with a brain injury or people who otherwise feel self-conscious about their ability to effectively communicate when engaging with others.
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With over 85,000 JAM Card users and 7,500 app users, individuals presenting the card are asking for ‘Just A Minute’ of time and patience in a private and easy way. It also provides an easy way for businesses to identify people with communication barriers and hidden disabilities to give them quality customer care based on their needs.
It was Spearheaded by Citi’s DisABility network, one of the five established diversity employee networks who champion diversity across the Belfast site. Becoming JAM Card friendly is the next step in the affinity network’s objectives to support Citi’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy.
Commenting on why Citi Belfast chose to align itself with JAM Card Shauna-Marie Maguire, Co-chair of the Belfast Disability Affinity said, “We Succeed Together at Citi and the Disability Network supports a culture of allyship, where everyone is championing and advocating for each other, collectively pushing towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for all. Citi Belfast becoming a JAM Card friendly business is our way to demonstrating just how focused we are on delivering these goals.”
Commenting on the initiative shown by Northern Ireland’s largest financial services employer and global bank Citi Nicola Tipping, Business Development Manager, NOW Group, added: “We After rolling out our JAM Card training to all Citi’s Staff, Belfast, they will then follow up with our bespoke ‘Understanding Inclusion’ training, which will enable them to deliver an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees. We would encourage businesses to follow Citi’s example to ensure the workplace is accessible to all and can support them in this journey through tailored JAM Card training, specific to their organisation.”
For more information on NOW Group’s JAM Card initiative click here.
Source: Written from press release.
