When There's a Will, There's a Way

By Carmen Jones
Founder and President, Solutions Marketing Group

Some companies target consumers with disabilities because it's the ‘right' thing to do. Others do it because they want to ensure that their diversity programs include the disabled segment. But some move forward because there's someone, often times with a personal connection to disability, who has challenged the company to become disability friendly.

I love working with clients who fall into this last category because there's a champion within the organization who doesn't take the typical excuses: “marketing to this segment isn't in our budget” or “if we target people with disabilities we make ourselves vulnerable to lawsuits” or “we just aren't sure how to reach that population.”

There were no excuses for Walgreens. Because of the life experience of Randy Lewis, a company executive and parent of a son with autism, Walgreens developed a program to employ people with a range of disabilities in its Anderson, South Carolina distribution center. ABC's World News with Charles Gibson recently featured the nation's largest drugstore chain, recognizing their innovative initiative to hire people with disabilities. Highlights from the segment are available at http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=4272981&page=1.

Since its inception in July 2006, the Walgreens Anderson distribution center has been a welcoming workplace for people with sensory, physical and cognitive disabilities. This type of progress doesn't happen unless there's organizational will to move forward.

I encourage corporate leaders to model the same organizational will that led to Walgreens' success. Start by examining what your company is doing to address the needs of people with disabilities. You may be missing an opportunity both to make your workforce diverse and to benefit your bottom line. A successful disability-inclusive business case should address how the disability community can be integrated into all of a company's programs. But you must be prepared to provide recommendations that can overcome the objections of peers.

Now is the time for your organization to provide a voice for this segment of the population. Drive the discussions in strategy meetings on diversity and emerging markets. You'll begin to experience the benefits of ensuring that people with disabilities are a factor in your inclusion equation.

Warm regards,

Carmen D. Jones
President