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Who we are
The Kanchi Story
Kanchi, is a dynamic social enterprise, committed to enhancing the relationship between people with disabilities and society. Working with business and media leadership, Kanchi has been pioneering in engaging decision makers and influencers.
The organisation was established in June 2000 by Caroline Casey, a visually impaired social entrepreneur, as part of a major fundraising initiative involving Caroline embarking on a 1000km trek across India on an elephant named Kanchi.
The organisation was originally called The Aisling Foundation. The name Aisling means dream or vision in Gaelic but does not travel well. Pronounced "ailing", outside Ireland, Aisling not only loses its meaning but brings attention to the negative thinking the Kanchi team are trying to change. Our history has made us who we are and our story began with an elephant called Kanchi. To us, Kanchi is a symbol of change, vision, possibility, never giving up, looking at things differently and individual potential. So in 2008 we chose Kanchi as our new name.
Through partnership with Irish business, government, media and the general public, Kanchi has developed unique and creative initiatives to change the social landscape for people with disabilities with particular focus on business.
The most recent of these, the highly successful O2 Ability Awards, were launched in 2004. International interest in the Awards has created the opportunity to replicate the Awards outside Ireland with the ambition of establishing a global standard of business best practice. Parallel to this, the Kanchi team is developing complimentary programmes both domestically and aboard, to achieve greater impact for one of the most complex and invisible of social issues that affects over 650 million people world wide. With a track record of delivery and a culture that focuses on positive solutions, Kanchi has achieved enormous impact for an organisation of its size. Kanchi is eager to build on its success and energise change that focuses on the value of difference.
- Kanchi focuses on the value of difference and the ability of people with disabilities. It has grown through partnership with Irish business, government, media and the general public.
- Launched in 2004, the O2 Ability Awards engage leadership around the disability business case.
- Three years of award ceremonies and international attention has created the opportunity to replicate the Ability Awards outside Ireland.
- New creative programmes are being introduced by the Kanchi team which will continue to inspire change in attitudes and behaviour in Ireland and overseas.
