Habinteg, established in 1970 at the time of the emergence of the disability rights movement, today own and manage over 2000 properties in England alone. Their focus on housing and disability is underpinned by belief in the social model of disability - that people are disabled by their surroundings and negative social attitudes rather than by physical differences. 

Manifestly, Habinteg is committed to the principles of equal opportunities and diversity. A traditional equal opportunities policy was put in place in 2000, but Habinteg feel that this should now be backed up by an overarching diversity strategy. As a organisation,  they are now committed to the aim that diversity will underpin everything they do as an employer and a social business.

They believe that this will not only make them better employers and improve business intelligence, it will also further their campaigning aims by exemplifying the practical and commercial benefits that diversity can deliver.

the working definition of diversity

Habinteg sees diversity as a description of the visible and invisible differences that exist between people. Equal opportunities is about removing bias, prejudice and stereotyping, so that that differences do not impede any individual. Diversity is about giving value to those differences, to stimulate fresh ideas, broaden and enrich perceptions and empower every individual to contribute to achieve the best possible results. Embracing diversity will be about changing attitudes and eliminating barriers, as individuals and as an organisation.

the diversity objectives

Habinteg has set its diversity objectives as:

• To encourage behaviours & attitudes that support the  valuing of diversity, by providing learning & development opportunities in a supportive environment.
• To develop staff for more senior positions both within and outside the organisation, with a focus on skills and career development.
• To monitor progress on diversity and use the results to strengthen our business strategy.
• To value the diversity of staff at all levels.
• To promote our commitment to valuing diversity. 

the diversity  ‘Action Plan’

The plan will be implemented throughout the organisation in the overall time frame of 2003 - 2006. All staff will be expected to make a significant contribution to the action plan with appraisals for staff and managers linked to outcomes within the action plan. A named director will have corporate responsibility for the implementation of the strategy and an individual board member will champion the process and present annual progress reports to the board.

The “Action Plan”

• requires each department to develop detailed Action Plans in response to their specific internal and external factors
• specifies time scales for each action
• sets out the indicators to be used to measure performance.

a diverse future

Habinteg has long been committed to challenging discriminatory behaviour and changing attitudes with respect to disability. They believe that by embracing diversity within their organisation they can demonstrate to clients, partners and others that diverse organisations are not only possible, and the advantages significant and measurable, but they are necessary for the future of any business.

The name 'Habinteg' comes from the Latin phrase, habitus integrans, meaning integrated housing, which describes Habinteg's approach of providing housing for disabled people within schemes where most tenants are not disabled, but where homes are designed to be easily adapted for a variety of disabilities. The association has developed a model of building small schemes (typically 40 units), 25% of which are built to wheelchair standards. The remainder are built to meet the sixteen criteria to make them 'lifetime homes' a standard developed by Habinteg and the Joseph Rowntree foundation, and one they are campaigning to have implemented nation-wide.