Problem addressed

People with disabilities face significant barriers to social and economic integration in Bulgaria. In 2018, 49.4% of people with a disability in the country were at risk of poverty and social exclusion. This is the highest proportion in the EU. Labour market inclusion, access to equal educational opportunities and relevant vocational training are areas of concern. This compromises the economic welfare of people with disabilities and prevents them from reaching their full potential.

Innovative solution

Jamba provides training to jobseekers with a disability and connects them with interested employers. Its entire philosophy is based on the recognition that people with disabilities have unique assets and skillsets. As such, it uses the term ‘people with diverse abilities’ as a more inclusive and positive one. It provides one-to-one support to people with diverse abilities when applying for jobs and tailored guidance throughout the entire application process. The initiative also has an online platform designed to connect applicants with diverse abilities with employers.

Unlike many initiatives that focus only on the demand side, Jamba also addresses the supply side of the disability employment gap. Its helps employers create an accessible workplace for people with diverse abilities. Jamba provides practical and technical support to companies by assessing their existing workspace, analysing potential barriers for people with diverse abilities, testing the facilities, installing new equipment and providing training on how to operate any new instalments. Companies are interested in these services as by employing a more diverse workforce, they are contributing to their corporate social responsibility strategies. An employers’ toolkit, developed by Jamba with the support of Ernst & Young (EY), provides employers with information on issues related to employing people with diverse abilities and how to overcome them. Jamba has set up an alliance of companies working with people with diverse abilities, and an awards ceremony to recognise those businesses and individuals that are contributing to a more inclusive society. The alliance was set up in 2019, with the first year of the awards taking place in January 2020.

While Jamba initially focused on adults with diverse abilities, in 2018 it expanded its reach to younger people through the creation of the Jamba Junior Career Centre, an accessible physical space to facilitate active engagement with people under the age of 18.

Key results and benefits

Since the project began in 2016, Jamba has provided training to 590 people with diverse abilities, 300 of which have been supported into employment. Jamba has 58 different companies to hire people with diverse abilities.

One of Jamba’s key achievements is that it has managed to go beyond training and upskilling and has brought the issue of disabilities into a wider arena by organising public events with its partner companies and organisations. For example, in April 2018, Jamba organised a career forum entitled ‘Equality Means More’ in partnership with EY as part of a national information campaign under the patronage of the Bulgarian president and the Sofia municipality. The forum aimed to alter attitudes towards people with disabilities and highlight their unique abilities to encourage greater market inclusion. In May 2018, Jamba organised a sports marathon, Run2Gether Bulgaria, in partnership with an organisation from Thailand, Klongdinsor Co. The charity race was run in pairs of able and partially able runners to promote the inclusion of people with diverse abilities in sports activities.

Feedback from employers demonstrates that employees with diverse abilities can perform to the same standard as every other employee when provided with an accessible working environment and supportive colleagues. People with diverse abilities who have participated in the project have been equally positive, stating that Jamba has been key in helping them ‘to feel like the fully functional people that we are!’

Potential for mainstreaming

Jamba partners with a wide variety of both Bulgarian and international organisations, such as the municipality of Sofia, EY, Hellenic Coca Cola, IBM, Paradise Center, HPE, SAP, Telus International, VM Ware and many more. Jamba is keen to expand its partnership network to include investors, as well as potential employers for their beneficiaries. Jamba expanded to Budapest, Hungary, in May 2019 and in April 2020, it opened a branch in Vienna, Austria. The team is growing steadily in Budapest, and  plans to start a mentoring programme and English business training in September 2020.

Given that Jamba has established a number of partnerships with organisations around the world and has strong links to multinational companies who could share experience internally between branches in different countries, there is real potential to mainstream this project across other countries and employment sectors. A key condition for the transferability of this practice to other contexts is a strong national network of companies and stakeholders who are committed to building a more diverse workforce.

In 2018, Jamba was selected as one of the Bulgarian finalists in the European Start-up Awards. Co-founder Iva Tsolova was included as part of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 ­– Europe – Social Entrepreneurs 2018. In addition, Jamba was awarded first place for social contribution and second place for starting business in the 2018 Forbes Business Awards.