One of Colgate-Palmolive’s corporate values is We are Inclusive. We are proud to champion inclusivity across the company, including for those with different abilities. In Brazil, our teams have made an incredible effort to support those with different abilities and foster a more inclusive work environment. 

For over 15 years, our Brazil office has partnered with the Instituto Jô Clemente, which promotes health and quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and rare diseases. The organization is an instrumental collaborator in helping us identify and hire employees with intellectual disabilities. 

At our Via Anchieta and Jaguare manufacturing plants in Brazil, approximately 45 percent of our frontline workforce with disabilities is hearing impaired.  To make our environments welcoming for everyone, we offered sign language classes to all employees to interact with hearing impaired employees. Sign language translators are at company events and meetings which has made communication more accessible, ensuring all employees feel included and engaged.

We also deployed a platform that provides online interpreters 24 hours a day, allowing for more effective communication with hearing impaired employees. The services  include real-time video calls with an interpreter translator,  and  on-site or online  translation for meetings.

Since implementing these programs, we have observed that our team interacts with one another more effectively and with more empathy.  We have created a space where differences are seen as strengths and the ways that we’ve supported our employees with disabilities, such as through the participation of interpreters in meetings and training, have improved our collective understanding of each other. 

By combining training, education, and advanced technologies, we make jobs and communication accessible to everyone—empowering employees of all abilities to fully take part in company life.. 

But these efforts are not always easy. Introducing new initiatives is always a challenge. But when these initiatives are consistent with our culture and values, and are supported by leadership, adoption becomes much easier. That is what has made our efforts successful.

“We are very proud of this partnership with the Instituto Jô Clemente (IJC) and the results we have seen in the lives of these people. We want to continue impacting many more lives in the coming years.” – Daniel Arouca, Human Resources , Brazil.