Don't Leave Money on the Table: Marketing to People with Disabilities

I have been exposed to people with disabilities my entire life. I started learning sign language when I was 3 years old because my family moved to a church that had a group of sign language users ~ deaf and hard of hearing attendees, and sign language interpreters. Our deaf and hard of hearing congregants weren't the only ones with disabilities in our congregation: we had wheelchair users, a blind man, people with mental illness, the elderly, and others. When I went to school, there was more exposure to disability. I had a friend Kevin, who had difficulty walking, and was a little glassy eyed. Sascha's mom was deaf, so we whispered in sign language under our desks during math. In high school, the kids from the state deaf school were mainstreamed with interpreters into some of my classes. And, in my family, there are several people with disabilities. My mom has fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, and diabetes. My dad has diabetes too. A few family members have depression, ADD and bipolar disorder. So, it is is interesting to me, that as an adult I grew up to work with and around people with disabilities and the related issues. What I find more interesting though is that unless a person has been exposed to disability in their life ~ through personal experience, or with a relative or friend, disability is something that people simply don't have any reason to think about. This is not a critique, or a blame or any other guilt inducing technique ~ this is just a notice. Notice, how we don't notice disability. As business owners, disability is not something we can afford to ignore. Disability will impact the way your message is received, how accessible your services or products are, and how much money you make. Creating products and services with accessibility in mind and marketing directly to people with disabilities is good for business and your bottom line. Money on the Table How would you like to tap a market that includes 54 million people with over $175 billion dollars of disposable income? Well, that market, is people with disabilities. Listed below are some ideas to get you started thinking about accessibility.... 1. Is my website accessible? Is your website easy to read & quickly understand? Would someone with hearing loss or low vision be able to access your information? Making sure your website is accessible to people with disabilities through practical layout and good design, benefits everyone that visits your site. In 1998 Congress mandated that federal agencies make their electronic communication accessible. Although you are not a federal agency, if you work under government contracts, or receive any federal funds, you may be required to have your website comply with these requirements. A few tweeks by your webmaster might be all you need to make your site available to everyone. For a FREE site evaluation visit: <a href="http://www.webaim.org/">WebAIM.org</a> 2. Is my information accessible? When creating material for a training, or an agenda for a meeting, do you take into account people's different learning styles? Many of us are familiar with the different ways people learn: visual, auditory, tactile. In doing this, you provide people with multiple ways to access your content allowing them to choose what works best for them. This method of engaging your students is called Universal Design. Interested in learning more? <a href="http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines">See UDL Guidelines.</a> 3. Am I accessible? Advertise your willingness to accommodate. This is a niche market like any other and people within niche markets talk to other people in that market. People work with and purchase from people they like, and who they feel accepted and understood by. Not only will people with disabilities tell other people with disabilities about you, but they will also tell their parents, siblings, business associates, and friends. Your willingness to accommodate others is one step in cultivating loyalty to your product, service or brand. Not sure what to do? Go through this short module <a href="http://www.ada.gov/reachingout/intro1.htm">“Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities”</a> People First, Disabilities Second Remember, people with disabilities, are people first. They are not the handicapped, the disabled, or the mentally retarded. It is something they have, not something they ARE. People with disabilities, hold jobs, have careers, own businesses, have families, homes, cars, shop, travel, and live lives very similar to the ones you and I do, with one exception ~ their disability. The fact is, that at some point in our lives, the majority of us will experience disability ~ even if only for a short time. Most of us will acquire a disability through illness, accident or age. We may have trouble standing or walking, lose some or all of our hearing or sight, experience problems processing information or with memory. It might not even happen to us personally: it might be our child, our spouse, our parent, or our friend. Keeping accessibility in mind around all aspects of our business is not right only because it is the profitable thing to do; it is profitable because it is the right thing to do. 2009-10-26T05:51:09Z

-0.936182

499 7119

true

12332

dont-leave-money-on-the-table-marketing-to-people-with-disabilities

2009-10-27T07:51:21Z

2009-10-27T12:53:18Z

How would you like to tap a market that includes 54 million people with over $175 billion dollars of disposable income?

Don't Leave Money on the Table: Marketing to People with Disabilities

2009-10-27T21:21:07Z