NOW Group participant Francis Fitzsimons and CEO Maeve Monaghan are pictured with Barry Phillips, Chairman, Legal-Island. NOW were awarded the Best Disability Initiative award for the JAM Card.

JAM Card named Best Disability Initiative

App that allows people to ask for ‘Just A Minute’ of patience awarded Best Disability Initiative at Equality & Diversity Awards

The JAM Card, created by social enterprise NOW Group, was awarded the Best Disability Initiative at the Legal-Island Equality & Diversity Awards on Friday night at Titanic Belfast.  


The Equality & Diversity Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and advocate for equality and diversity in the workplace. The JAM Card is a credit card sized card and app for smartphones that allows people with learning difficulties and communication barriers to ask for Just A Minute of patience when they need it. There are over 9000 people now using the JAM Card across Northern Ireland and feedback shows people are finding everyday interactions, such as ordering food in a cafe or counting out change for the bus, easier thanks to the card. 


NOW Group launched training for businesses to become JAM Card Friendly in November last year. This has led to almost 2000 individuals from organisations including SSE Arena, W5, Belfast Giants, Graham-BAM Healthcare, the Consumer Council and the Millennium Forum taking either an online training course or a face to face workshop to learn how to provide excellent customer service to JAM Card users. 


Speaking about the award win Diane Hill, Head of Business Development at NOW Group commented, “We are thrilled to see the JAM Card recognised at these prestigious awards. The Legal-Island Equality & Diversity Awards showcase the best in HR practice around inclusion; to have the JAM Card endorsed by the judges is a fantastic accolade for us.


“Increasingly organisations are becoming aware that they need to do more to ensure that people with all abilities are welcome in their businesses. Becoming a JAM Card Friendly organisation makes good business sense and has a considerable impact on making people with learning difficulties and communication barriers feel welcomed.”
Training to become a JAM Card Friendly organisation is available from just £99 + VAT. To find out more and register your business visit www.jamcard.org. 

Last updated 6 years ago