Developing Inclusive Employment via Job Training
for the Disabled: Lessons from Telenor Open Mind
Laura Kalef
Disability and Work: Global Strategies for Equity
McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy
May 5th 2012
Overview
 In Norway, the employment rate for those with
disabilities is 45% vs. 75% in the total population
 Relatively high due to policies and programs focusing on
accessibility measures, individual support, rehabilitation,
prevention, and anti-discrimination
 Telenor Open Mind is an example of a successful
job training program in Norway helping the
disabled into the workforce
 Currently~ 150 participants have participated in
the Open Mind Program
Methodology
 49 semi-structured interviews with program administrators,
leaders, participants, government officials, local politicians,
and community members

Particular effort was made to ensure variety in the sample
 Data from these interviews were transcribed and then coded
by theme before being analyzed
 Data was also collected through direct observation, and
supplemented by literature on the program including
previous research reports, government documents and
program literature and resources.
Disability in Norway
 The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization (NAV)
provides the frontline assistance to users, through the state
national budget
 NAV provides benefits, educational courses, and
individual guidance to those with disabilities in Norway
 “approximately 700,000 persons in the Norwegian work force receive
different kinds of benefits. Statistics show this number is on the rise”
 Many Non- Government Organizations (NGOs ) are working
to lobby for disabled rights and create an inclusive society :


The Norwegian Federation of Organizations of Disabled People (FFO)
The Norwegian Association for the Disabled (NAD)
Telenor
 One of the largest telecommunications companies globally with
31,000 employees and 128 million mobile subscribers world wide
• Headquarters in Fornebu (Oslo), Norway
• Open concept working environment – no private offices and
equipped with universally designed technology
•E.g.: desks raise and lower
electronically and employees can
communicate through instant
messaging online or mobile SMS
•Started the Open Mind Program in 1994
•Recently celebrated 15th anniversary!
Telenor Open Mind Strategy
Admission: 2-4 times per year with 5-6 participants each session
Qualification Period: Computer course & “Unique as I am” program
Work Practice: Training in the workplace and job coach follow-up
Impact on Employment
Integration into
employment:
• 75% employment rate upon
program completion
• Program provides:
• Computer training
• Personal development
• Work-practice experience
• Group & one-on- one job
coaching
• Participants...
• Develop functional daily
routines,
• Increase self-confidence
• Become a contributing member
of the work environment
Social Integration:
• “Unique as I am” course
• Gain self- perspective
• Learn to separate emotion
towards the person and the
situation
• Learn how to present self in the
workplace and deal with
workplace situations
• Learn to see self as a resource
• Increase self confidence
• Opportunity to build social
relationships in the workplace, at
lunch and special events
Participants’ Experiences
“You get to know yourself a little better and to know what people
around you think about you and how you should behave in
different situations and how you should think and your mindset
and everything. It is more on a personal level but it totally helped
me in the work life. I have become a little more self confident.
I believe more that I can be a resource for my team”.
“The coaches are pushing us and making us stand on our own feet.
They challenge us every day and I think that’s important”.
“I learned how to look at myself and focus on the positive and what can
I really do and not what I can’t do. To change negative things into
positive things and use positive words instead of negative words and
so for me I think I do more of that” .
Impact on Telenor
 Boosts morale of employees in the “they like so much that they can
working environment
 Reduces sick leave
 Increase openness & acceptance
among employees
 Can look past someone’s disability
to appreciate the work they are
doing
 Financial benefits – Telenor net
gain of NOK 2.7million per year ~
$500,000
 Good reputation in society –
positive PR publicity
have a job and all the other people
around, they see that... a lot of
positive things about having those
people in the department... you
can see how happy they are for the
job you can see how good work
they are doing and they are not
nearly sick at all” – Telenor
Employee
Impact on Society
 Telenor Open Mind enables individuals to gain employment
and become taxpayers & contributing members of society
 Financial benefits of society saving disability benefits and
increased tax revenues
 Gross savings to society of NOK 4,640,477 for each individual
who gains employment (~$800,000.00)
 Society has a net socioeconomic gain ~ NOK 100 million each
year (~ $ 17 million)
 Normalizing the idea of disabled individuals in the
workplace – promoting open mindedness
Challenges of Open Mind
 Recruiting participants:
 300,000 people in Norway live on disability benefits and 78,000
are looking for work – why aren’t more people applying?
 Disconnect in NAV causing poor dissemination of program
information
 Open Mind now reaching out to individuals through social
media, news articles and public advertisements
 Perceptions of disabled community:
 Mixed feelings:
A)
Effective strategy to help disabled individuals into the workplace
B)
Abusing NAV system to obtain free labour from participants
Replication
• Began in 2006
• Similar structure to
Norway Open Mind
due to similar
government structure
and funds
•Since 2009,
•Telenor Pakistan has
hired employees with
disabilities (15currently)
and training them
• Began in 2007 at Digi
• Scheme was not
successful and project
has been stopped
• Speculated lack of
leader commitment
Sweden
Pakistan
Malaysia
 What is needed for a successful replication?
1. Financial security
2. Know- how
3. Leadership involvement & dedication
** Telenor is open to sharing their business plan with interested
companies to help more disabled individuals gain employment
Lessons Learned
 Importance of inclusive corporate culture
“First of all, it’s about pure physical access. You can get around this whole
building in a wheelchair. That’s the first prerequisite, and also to be able to
manoeuvre in and out of meeting rooms and places. That’s the most
important because we don’t want to make this special, these people don’t
want to be treated differently - include us, let us be a natural part of this
everyday work and society”.
 Open concept working environment - allows colleagues to feel
connected and develop relationships
 Advanced technology - can communication through instant
messaging on computer or mobile phone to reduce voices

Benefit for deaf employees or hearing aid users to reduce noise
accumulation
 Importance of committed leadership
 The management team must value the program and be dedicated to helping
the disabled gain employment

“The people that run Open mind read our interests and are invested in the participants
because they themselves either have a disability or have close experience with it”
 Need for social inclusion & job-specific training
 The combination of the Unique as I am program and the specific job
training provides participants with the confidence they need to be a
resource in the workplace and a contributing team member
 Win-win- win
 A balance needs to exist between the participants, society and the
workplace, as is the case with Open Mind- contributing highly to its success
Future Recommendations:
Determine long-term outcomes for participants in regards to career
advancement, further education, leadership roles, drop-out, etc.
Thank You
Thank you kindly to everyone who made this fantastic experience possible, I am forever
grateful. This has been an incredible learning experience that has opened my eyes and
mind to the endless possibilities of change.
To the amazing team at the IHSP  Thank you for
this amazing opportunity and for all your guidance
and support
To Telenor Open Mind  thank you for welcoming
me into your workplace and taking the time to
participate in interviews. This study is rich due
to your amazing experiences
To Tommy Rovelstad & Ingrid Ihme  thank
you for welcoming me both into the workplace and
your homes. You both contributed greatly to
making my time in Norway an unforgettable
experience full of culture, cuisine, and great friends
To my family & friends  thank you for
your ongoing support and encouragement through
out this process, and always.
Laura Kalef, 2011, Kjerag Bolten - Norway