Isabella Messner works at a BILLA supermarket in Austria, whilst Victoria Köhler is completing her apprenticeship at DERTOUR in Frankfurt am Main. Isabella has Down’s syndrome. Victoria is a woman with AUDHS. At first glance, two very different lives. But what they have in common is that they are young, feel well looked after at the REWE Group – and have a great rapport with their boss. And they are two of thousands of colleagues with severe disabilities.
Victoria Kohler | Photo: ©DERTOUR
The importance of practising and promoting inclusion within a company is illustrated by the personal experiences of Victoria Kohler, a trainee at the DERTOUR Group. Victoria has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism (ADHD).
Silvia Fehlen | Photo: ©DERTOUR
She felt warmly welcomed, valued and supported by her colleague Silvia Fehlen, Mediterranean Specialist 2 / Back Office at DERTOUR Germany.
What I appreciate about working with you is …
Silvia: “I enjoy engaging with the trainees on an individual basis, because everyone is different and you have to adapt to each colleague anew. It’s precisely through this that you keep learning new things yourself and see things from different perspectives. I think it’s important that every colleague feels accepted just as they are, and that we treat one another with openness and respect.”
Victoria: “I noticed that straight away with you. You welcomed me very openly right from the start and made me feel I could ask questions at any time. Given my personal background and my ADHD/autism, that made it much easier for me to settle into the department. I’ve always enjoyed coming here and have felt very much at home.”
From you, I’ve learnt…
Victoria: “… how important openness and honest communication are in day-to-day working life. When someone treats you with openness and understanding, it makes it easier for you to be open yourself and get involved. I’ll definitely take that with me to future departments and when working with other colleagues.”
Silvia: “When you work with different people, you realise time and again that everyone has different strengths and challenges. That’s why I think it’s important to remain flexible and to engage with people on an individual basis. In the end, both sides benefit from this.”
