“When José came to ask me for a job 22 years ago, I didn’t know what work to give him. My company was small, with no more than six employees. A neighbour approached me to tell me about the difficulties that José’s family was going through and to ask if I could offer him a job. Moved by the family’s struggles, I agreed, even though I had no idea what tasks I could give to someone with only one arm in such a manual line of work. However, José demonstrated an extraordinary ability to adapt, swiftly adjusting to his new role. In three years, he learned what usually takes six years to train a graphic officer.”

“Pedro was different. He is much younger and started his internship after the local organisation insisted that we integrate him. We gave him the opportunity, and in return he sets an example for us every day, showing us that all difficulties and limitations can be overcome with solidarity and commitment.”

“During the first year, José learned to overcome his limitations by adapting his interaction with the machinery using rubber bands and improving his own skills. The only adaptation required was to give him time to learn the craft in his own way. Once he had achieved that goal, he began perfecting his skills until he reached a level of mastery.”

“José gets on well with his colleagues and with me. These relationships reflect the bond that I strive to maintain with all my company’s workers: one of mutual help, collaboration and familiarity, but also of expectation, professionalism and quality.”

“Throughout our journey with Pedro, the support of the service provider has been invaluable. They have always been available at the end of the phone, establishing a relationship of great trust and honesty. This level of support is essential for us employers. We need this guarantee that we will not be left ‘hanging’ if something goes wrong.”

“Despite the difficulties along the way, we signed a Supported Employment in the Open Market contract with Pedro after completing the initial internship. Under this agreement, we pay Pedro a salary like any of our other workers, but a percentage of his salary is financed by the state employment services. An independent organisation assessed this percentage by evaluating Pedro’s disability according to the tasks in the workplace and his effective abilities. The evaluation concluded that Pedro has a 50% disability, meaning the state will fund 50% of his salary.”

“We value José for his reliability and attention to detail. The world of graphics is constantly innovating, and my internal policy is to promote the constant renewal of skills and versatility among my entire team. I consider José to be irreplaceable. The exceptional quality of his work is a testament to his perfectionism. He is unsurpassed in his role and has overcome his disability, which we do not consider to be an issue. I sincerely hope he will continue his good work for as long as he can, and then retire with merit.”

“I would certainly do it again. To my fellow employers who are considering hiring people with disabilities, I would advise overcoming your initial impressions. There are many competent people with disabilities, and hiring them allows us to overcome economism and become more human. It’s about getting to know people, understanding their challenges, supporting them, empathising with them, and keeping our feet on the ground. In our company, as well as in any other, I expect an increase in team productivity when including someone with a disability, and from a human point of view, it makes us all grow. Looking to the future, I expect stability and continuity.”