BMW lives inclusion

BMW lives inclusion

Tina Schmidt-Kiendl has been paralyzed since a spinal disc operation and is dependent on a wheelchair. The industrial engineer works at the BMW Group as head of project management and has integrated her handicap into her second job in a very special way: As an instructor at the BMW M Driving Experience, she has developed special driving safety training for people with disabilities. Numerous people with disabilities work at BMW AG. The company's severely disabled rate was 6.0 percent in 2023 and thus - as in previous years - above the legal requirements. Last year, BMW AG also awarded contracts to workshops for people with disabilities worth a total of around 42.7 million euros.

The skills of these employees contribute to diversity in the company. "Diversity is very important to us. We are firmly convinced that diversity makes us more innovative and competitive in all dimensions. Equal opportunities and inclusion are essential prerequisites for this. We have initiated a whole range of measures to achieve this," says Barbara Burghardt, Head of HR Business and Talent Development and Inclusion Officer at BMW AG. On the International Day of People with Disabilities on December 3rd, the BMW Group wants to show how inclusion is practiced within the company. Peter Thiele, development engineer for vehicle architecture, has been severely disabled since a stroke. Gabriele Stern, communication trainer and coach, has been almost completely blind since birth. Like Tina Schmidt-Kiendl and many other colleagues with a severe disability, both work at the BMW Group and make it clear how many faces the issue has.

The inclusion of employees according to their physical and mental abilities is anchored in a works agreement at the BMW Group. Tina Schmidt-Kiendl: "Before I became severely disabled, I worked for the BMW Group and am now in a wheelchair. And it works very well! I was even able to specifically integrate my handicap into my professional activity by developing driving safety training for people with disabilities in the company. I would like to enable other affected people to have confidence and safety in road traffic. The training is about experiencing the fascination of technology in our latest vehicles, which have been specially converted to be operated manually We will experience a day full of driving pleasure together, a handicap won’t stop anyone.”