17,000 Civil Servants Complete JAM Card Accreditation

Finance Minister, Dr Caoimhe Archibald, has welcomed a major milestone for the Civil Service as 17,000 of its employees have now completed the JAM (Just a Minute) card accreditation.

The JAM Card allows anyone with a learning difficulty, autism or communication barrier to tell others discreetly and easily they need 'Just A Minute'.

Welcoming the achievement, Minister Archibald, said: "The achievement of the JAM card accreditation is one of several ways we are raising awareness of disability, learning difficulties and neurodiversity across the Civil Service.

"This supports the delivery of our public services and makes the working environment more inclusive by helping everyone feel valued and respected.

"I'm proud that more than 17,000 civil servants have carried out the JAM Card training and encourage those who have not yet completed the training to do so.

"More than one fifth of people are living with a disability or illness which affect their daily tasks and many of these aren't obvious. "To have NICS as a JAM Card-friendly organisation is important to help support our colleagues and those who use our services."

Maeve Monaghan, Chief Executive of NOW Group, added: "As one of Northern Ireland's largest employers, we are so pleased, and proud, that the Northern Ireland Civil Service has partnered with NOW Group to become JAM Card friendly and recognise the value of investing in training their staff to provide great service for people with both visible and hidden disabilities.

"The achievement of the JAM card accreditation demonstrates the Civil Service's priority to advance equality, diversity and inclusion across the organisation.

Maeve continued: "Since launching the JAM Card initiative in 2012, the scheme has been a resounding success with more than 2,500 organisations across the region participating in the training programme. It may be 'Just A Minute' but that extra time and understanding can really support and comfort those with communications barriers, helping to give them equal access to the services they need every day."

JAM Cards are available in a standard card form or as a smartphone app for ease of access and are used by almost 160,000 people across Ireland.