Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) Accessibility Employee Resource Group (ERG) is always looking for innovative ways to promote accessibility and inclusion in their diverse workplace. And their latest initiative has proven to be a real hit among staff.
In what employees described as a ‘mini Tropfest’, the ERG organised an internal screening of accessible short films that reflect the lived experience of people with disability, through the Corporate Program from Wide Angle Film Festival.
“From the challenges and struggles to the laughs and often underestimated talents of a diverse range of people with disability, the festival allowed for entertaining, thought-provoking insights into issues around disability, accessibility and inclusion,” said Tarnia Major of the RBA Accessibility ERG.
“It’s a great tool for the broader outcome of the Festival’s Corporate Program, to encourage conversations about inclusion of people with disability and bring about cultural change in organisations.”
The Corporate Program is provided by The Bardic Studio, whose mission is to provide space in Australian cinema for groups that are under-represented. It makes the films freely available for in-house screenings and is cleverly designed to maximise engagement from employees, running for only 45 minutes to minimise disruption to busy work days.
Beginning in 2018 as a pilot program, screenings with a number of large organisations were so successful that the Corporate Program is now a permanent feature of the Wide Angle Film Festival’s Annual National Tour.
At RBA, the ERG was so impressed with engagement from staff, it’s looking to run the Film Festival as an annual event, expecting attendance to grow each year as word spreads about the outstanding quality of the films.
“Our objective was to raise awareness of disability and understanding of people living with disability,” said Tarnia Major.
“The films really brought these objectives to the fore in their unique and captivating storytelling. A true highlight for us.”
