APAP TODOS is the first local initiative of its kind to financially include disabled people in Dominican Republic. Social and financial inclusion is part of APAP's vision and values. This creates in the institution the commitment to design inclusive solutions. The bank promotes the equality and non-discrimination policy that seeks to create a culture of inclusion and equality in the company. Whilst banking hearing impaired clients and recruiting employees with disabilities, APAP has a major position as an inclusive financial institution, becoming the first and only in the sector. The programme is called APAP TODOS. Its main objective is banking people with disabilities, with a focus on the hearing impaired in its first stage. The programme makes it the first and only bank in the country to offer customer service in sign language. The initiative seeks to achieve financial inclusion, as well as accessibility to clients with different physical-motor disabilities. Financial education to people with these conditions is also one of the components of APAP TODOS, as well as labour inclusion. In the first 8 months of execution in 2015, the program had trained in sign language the personnel of 50% of APAP’s branches in an area where the largest population of deaf people in the country is concentrated. Financial education also exists in sign language and offered as a part of APAP TODOS through the bank’s CSR programs.
Due to the limitation of language, this population was excluded from the information given to them in these workshops. To circumvent this barrier, APAP developed strategic alliances with other institutions to make this social and financial inclusion program possible in such a short time. Among the allies APAP partners with universities, schools and associations that work for people with disabilities.
Visit Website
