The ADA Can Improve Your Bottom Line
By Carmen Jones
Founder and President, Solutions Marketing Group
Frequently when I first work
with a corporation, I hear many myths, fears, and misconceptions about the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some business leaders wish they could take the ostrich approach: stick their head in the sand and make it go away. They equate ADA with dollars flowing out of the business when savvy compliance with the law coupled with targeted marketing can impact a company's bottom-line. Since personal stories often lend a layer of understanding to an issue that is not otherwise available, it might be helpful if I offered my history with the ADA.
In 1990 I worked as a counselor for an independent living center in Newport News, Virginia. One day my supervisor directed me to contact consumers on my caseload and ascertain good candidates to go with us to Washington, DC and visit our congressmen and senators to ask them to support the ADA. Just disabled for a little more than 3 years, I didn't know much about the technical aspects of the ADA. All I knew was it provided protections for people with disabilities. The employment portion of the bill resonated with me since I had been told by countless recruiters that I was under/over qualified for positions that I was clearly suited for.
Working for the ADA's passage conjured up memories of my worst interview experience. A recruiter who was visibly uncomfortable with my disability interviewed me. He could not sit still and was practically squirming. After asking the standard questions, he looked me dead in the eye and asked if I could wiggle my toes. I was shocked and felt violated by his inappropriate question. However I was inexperienced and did not fully know my rights so I sheepishly answered. As I geared up to take my clients to DC, I knew the ADA would've protected me from such offensive and humiliating questions.
In the months that followed, I attended rallies and events to add my voice to millions. During that time, I began to understand the exclusion that many had fought their entire lives to overcome. I embraced disability as a dimension of diversity. It was not the all-encompassing and defining characteristic that society decided to label me with. By just opening myself up to the experiences of others, I understood their passion, zeal and conviction. They wanted to create a world where all people – regardless of disability – had a chance to fully participate in the mainstream of life.
Since that time, I've often thought of the man who conducted my worst interview. He was inadequately trained and reacted with fear and discomfort to my disability. Clearly I was a member of a group with whom he had no experience. As a result, that company lost the asset of a skilled and loyal employee.
I have also come to understand the ADA as an opportunity. It's an opportunity for companies to inject their culture with fresh new talent. Moreover, it's an opportunity to strategically target 54 million consumers and their families and gain market share. The forward thinking companies like Microsoft, Home Depot, AT&T, and JPMorgan Chase have removed barriers and created a culture where the disability perspective is not a foreign concept. And they've reaped benefits in their bottom line.
In order to move beyond compliance and join other corporate leaders, I encourage you to ask your colleagues 4 questions to jump start your efforts in reaching this segment:
- In what ways is my company vulnerable in the areas of employment, customer service, marketing, and accessibility?
- What internal processes can we develop to capture the disability perspective across all lines of business?
- What national, state or local disability organizations can my company partner with?
- Who is the most senior champion to spearhead this effort?
Once these questions have been answered and a solid strategy developed, I invite you to share your company's journey to move beyond compliance to a culture of disability inclusion by November 1 st , 2007. In so doing, you will remove labels, open doors and seize the opportunity to reach the most untapped, overlooked segment of consumers in the United States.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Carmen D. Jones
President