As one of the five ERGs under the Unity Network, ADAPT is committed to fostering a more inclusive workplace by increasing awareness and understanding of neurodiverse, physical, and intellectual disabilities.

ADAPT stands for Abled and Disabled Allies Partnering Together, and our Vision is to Empower, Educate, Elevate, Equip and Empathise by creating an inclusive and equitable workplace for abled and disabled colleagues. Ultimately, we want to make PTSB a better place to work with by ensuring the Bank is a welcoming and attractive place for candidates of all abilities, and one that better reflects modern Irish society and our customers. We strive to build a workplace rooted in empathy rather than sympathy – one where colleagues navigating physical, neuro or intellectual disability journeys, whether their own or those of a loved one, never feel alone. Through education, training, and events, we aim to break down barriers and create an environment where all colleagues feel valued and supported.

Our initiatives include training sessions and impactful events focused on increasing awareness and understanding around the full range of differing abilities, as well as a series of colleague-led articles that share personal experiences – helping to challenge misconceptions and drive meaningful conversations. Beyond raising awareness, we're also focused on providing tangible supports for colleagues with disabilities, ensuring they have the resources and workplace adjustments they need to thrive. Key to our mission is encouraging open discussion so that colleagues feel comfortable sharing their experiences and, if they choose, their DEI data with us. By doing so we can continue to improve our workplace, shape more inclusive policies, and drive lasting change.

Inclusivity at Our Core 

Our campaign ‘Inclusivity at our CORE’, is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of different abilities and disabilities.

• Internal Communications Campaign

Throughout the year, we encourage colleagues to share their own stories – whether about their own experiences or that of a family member – through articles that highlight their unique journeys.  By fostering open conversations, we hope to create a more inclusive environment where colleagues feel comfortable sharing their DEI data with us. 

• In-Person Event

ADAPT have held a number of in person and online events, one being a colleague-led panel discussion including guests Kerrie Leonard, Paralympic Archer & Dale O’Neill, a graduate from the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities, in addition to internal colleagues who shared their stories of disability. In addition, ADAPT was delighted to host CEO of AsIAm, Adam Harris, who participated in a discussion around neurodiversity and the workplace. Another event was with representatives of AsIAm, Stewarts Care Services and a current TCPID student on work placement in our Grafton St branch. Both events proved to be hugely successful in helping ADAPT to broadcast its message and mission to colleagues.

AsIAm Partnership

In 2024, PTSB signed a three-year partnership with AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism Charity, further demonstrating our commitment to support neurodiversity and fostering a more inclusive society. This partnership with AsIAm is a very important step in demonstrating our commitment to all our customers and ensuring that everyone can access our products, services and supports. AsIAm provides supports, guidance and resources to autistic children and adults, to their families, to businesses who want to become more autism-friendly, to employers who want to promote greater diversity and inclusion in their workplace, and to community groups.

Autism-friendly Branch Accreditation

We are the first financial institution in Ireland to be accredited by AsIAm with autism-friendly branches in key branches across the country. The four branches are located in: Athlone, Co Westmeath; Clonakilty, Co Cork; Longford Town; and Stillorgan, Co Dublin, our newly refurbished branch, which includes additional features that exceed the autism-friendly accreditation requirements, such as the provision of a dedicated quiet space with customised lighting for customers.

The Autism-Friendly accreditation has been received because these branches meet the following AsIAm criteria:

• A minimum of 90% of front-facing staff have been trained in ‘Understanding Autism’ and ‘Supporting Autistic Customers & their Families’.
• A sensory and accessibility audit and evaluation has been carried out in each branch.
• PTSB has designed and published a sensory map for each branch, which is being made available both online and in-branch.
• PTSB has created a Charter of Inclusion for each branch outlining short, medium, and long-term goals and recording relevant achievements in progressing towards these goals.

We are proud to be leading the way in ensuring that our services are accessible to everyone, and we are currently working towards achieving certification in additional branches nationwide.

Disabled Parking Spaces Available in SSG

Based on colleague feedback, a number of dedicated Disabled Parking spaces were allocated in St. Stephens Green, Head Office. The spaces are located at the Leeson Lane entrance, allowing for easy access to and from the building. These spaces are available for colleagues that have a Blue Badge displayed in their vehicle. In addition, there is a number of dedicated Disabled Parking spaces in our site in Cork Airport Business Park.

Disability Awareness Training

Our members of SLT undertook mandatory disability awareness training with the Irish Centre for Diversity advisor, Jo Barton, has worked as a freelance consultant for over 14 years specializing in organisational development and culture change. She currently works with the National and Irish centre for Diversity delivering on diversity and inclusion change programmes. This training course has been designed to provide colleagues the tools to support a customer or colleague who is covered as a disabled person under legislation. To date, the majority of our EXCO & SLT team have undertaken the training and further plans are in place to begin offering the training to wider management. This training has been crucial in promoting our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and ensuring PTSB continuously evolving to be a more inclusive organisation.

Parental Supports

Practical, hands-on webinars were designed and held for parents and caregivers of children & teenagers with neuro, physical or intellectual disabilities, providing practical tools to support connection, foster warmth in the parent-child relationship, as well as with siblings. These sessions are held by Jenny Fahy, a parental coach who has wide experience working with children and families.

We are immensely proud of all that our ADAPT ERG has achieved and the progress that has been made in supporting our community of colleagues. We look forward to supporting them further and working together on our journey to drive.