Meta has supported Enable Ireland since 2018. Meta staff have volunteered their time and expertise to enhance Enable Ireland’s digital marketing and online fundraising. Staff have donated advertising credits to Enable Ireland to promote our campaigns and events, as well as holding staff fundraisers.
In May 2019, Facebook hosted the Enable Ireland Inclusive Fashion Show at its international headquarters in Grand Canal Square. Service users of Enable Ireland, Facebook employees, members of the Blue Diamond Drama Academy, Paddy Smyth from RTÉ's 'The Fitting Room', as well professional models, all took to the catwalk to showcase this summer’s hottest styles. Over €22,000 was raised at the event to support Enable Ireland and Blue Diamond Drama Academy.
“We couldn’t be prouder to partner with organisations like Enable Ireland and Blue Diamond Performance Academy, which make such profound difference to the lived experience of differently-abled people across the country. At Facebook, we’re proud to say that we have built our company around the values of diversity and inclusion, so supporting organisations like Enable Ireland and the Blue Diamond Drama Academy, is a perfect fit for us”.
“To be able to partner with a company like Facebook and support their Differently-Abled Network is incredibly important to us. Supporting inclusion for people with disabilities is one of our missions, and we are so happy to partner with Facebook on this inclusive fashion show. Having the support of an organisation as committed to access and inclusion as Facebook means the world to Enable Ireland, and will have positive knock-on effects on the lives of those we support. It’s great to see some of the young people who use our services having fun modelling alongside Facebook and Blue Diamond Drama Academy members. This type of event underlines the importance of visibility and representation for people of all abilities, in every sphere of life. Knowing that the proceeds of the evening will go directly towards the supporting our children’s services, and those at Blue Diamond Drama Academy, makes this event all the more special”.
Meta has long held the values of inclusion and diversity at the heart of its mission, in Ireland and everywhere it operates. In its offices around the world, Meta employs a range of programmes to nurture diversity and inclusion among employees - running courses on managing inclusion and being aware of bias, and encouraging staff to Be the Ally at every opportunity. The company hires on the basis of a ‘strengths-based culture’, and actively welcomes Cognitive Diversity among the workforce – people with different characteristics, backgrounds and perspectives.
Facebook inclusive fashion show with Enable Ireland
