Amazon employs blind people. A breakthrough program of the Polish branch

At the beginning of the year, the HOMER program was implemented at the Amazon Logistics Center in Bielany Wrocławskie, which has just completed its pilot phase. This is the first such project carried out by the American giant in the European Union and the third in the world. The initiative was created in cooperation with the Marshal's Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Work for the blind

The HOMER program aims to enable blind and visually impaired people to find employment in logistics centers. During the pilot project, five people with visual disabilities were employed in the Wrocław branch of the company. All of them were successfully introduced to their new duties.

We make every effort to ensure that our employees can realize their professional potential without any restrictions – says Dominika Bąk-Majka, Senior Operations Manager at Amazon and co-creator of the program. The program is the result of Amazon's cooperation with the Marshal's Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, which reported the need to create new, safe jobs for blind and visually impaired people in the region. The suggestion of the local government became the driving force for the HOMER program.

As the Marshal's Office, we take care of the Lower Silesian Special Educational and Educational Center, the aim of which is to adapt people with disabilities to professions – says Krzysztof Maj, Member of the Board of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

– We want the school's graduates to be able to pursue their careers and have employment prospects after completing their studies. We are glad that Amazon has started the HOMER program. Professional activation of people with disabilities is extremely important because they have the same – and sometimes even greater – skills than non-disabled people. Therefore, we must pay special attention to the availability of jobs that will enable them to have a satisfying career on a partnership basis, he adds.

More centers in the queue

The success of the program opens the way to increasing the number of jobs for blind and visually impaired people in Amazon logistics centers in Poland, with a plan to reach 50 positions. Currently, HOMER program participants work in the process of packing, receiving goods and manually sorting parcels. Amazon is also exploring the possibility of expanding employment to other logistics centers.

In addition to the HOMER program, Amazon has also been running the MigaMY program since 2020, under which it offers 140 adapted jobs in its logistics centers in Poland for deaf and hard of hearing people.