1 cm - Ep. 1: Life accidents (in simple langage)

This article is written in simple language so that even more people can understand our work.

The topic is: Work and disability

Luxembourg lacks many people who can work.

At the same time, people with disabilities often find it difficult to find work.

This is because people often don't recognise their abilities.

In the podcast, we show twelve people with disabilities.

They talk about their problems. And about the opportunities when they are seen.

A lot is possible when they are seen. It's called inclusion.

The first episode is about two people: Julien and Martina.

It's about questions like:

• What is it like for them to work?
• What are they good at?
• Where are there obstacles?

Julien – The chef with cardiac arrest

Julien was a chef. He had been doing it since he was 15 years old.

He loved his job. He worked in well-known restaurants in France and Luxembourg.

But one night, Julien had a cardiac arrest. His heart stopped beating.

His partner called for help. The firefighters were able to resuscitate him after eight minutes.

Due to the lack of oxygen, he now has a mental impairment.

He had to relearn a lot of things:

• speak,
• walk,
• eat.

Julien wanted to go back to work.

But a test day in a normal restaurant went badly.

Then he got to know the Atelier d'inclusion professionnelle. This is a special job centre. People with disabilities can work here. They are given tasks and help.

Julien's new job: a sheltered workplace.

Today Julien can work again.

Julien now works in the kitchen at the Coopération in Wiltz.

He is happy because he is taken seriously there and can do what he loves – cooking.

Martina – The translator after the diving accident

Martina was a translator. She managed a team in a company.

In 2003 she had a diving accident while on holiday. She developed diving sickness. This is a serious illness after diving.

Martina was hospitalised for a long time. Many people tried to help her.

But she still had a lot of problems:

• Problems with her legs,
• Problems with her balance,
• Problems with her bladder and bowel,
• Problems with her hearing.

Nevertheless, she wanted to go back to work.

After a year, she went back to her company. Only two hours a day at first.

That was very difficult. Because she also had a small child.

Later, she had to stop working as a team leader. It became too difficult.

She then went back to work as a translator.

That was better for her health and her family.

But in 2024, the company moved to a new building.

It was further away. And it was difficult to get there by bus.

She asked at work: "Can I get a disabled parking space? Because I can't walk very well."

Her boss said, "No." Then he asked, "Can't you take the bus?"

That really hurt her because she felt like she wasn't being taken seriously. He didn't understand how difficult it was for her. That's why she couldn't continue working.

In this episode of the podcast we learn:

Inclusion in the workplace is possible. But it's not easy.

To enable people with disabilities to work better, we need

• Understanding
• Patience
• good will.

An extra centimetre of openness can make a big difference.