Welcome to SMG eNEWS™
2008, Mar 3rd

The Solutions Marketing Group’s eNews is a bi-monthly communiqué that connects business to the market of people with disabilities.

Message From The Founder

When There's a Will, There's a Way
By Carmen Jones, Founder and President

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....

Read the rest of this month's message from the Founder >>

Profiles in Excellence
Profiles in Excellence is a monthly article, published by SMG, that features companies and organizations that demonstrate leadership in accessibility, employment, customer service and marketing to the nation's 54 million Americans with Disabilities.

Best Practices from Best Buy
By Joan Leotta

Where do a company's best ideas for inclusion come from? At Best Buy, one of the nation's leading technology retailers, innovations sprout from any source with ties to the company, be they managers, employees, or even customers. Despite its great size—the chain employees over 140,000 people, operates more than 1,200 retail stores, and does $36 billion dollars in sales annually—Best Buy leaders insure that inclusion ideas are quickly put into practice, giving this gadget giant the agility of a small startup....
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Featured Article
Special to Disability-Marketing.com

“Bullying” By Joyce Bender, President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services

In the United States today one group that is frequently targeted for bullying is students with disabilities. As we all know, anyone who is different is often the target, but the question is what are we doing about it? Often young adults with disabilities have low self-esteem; a primary reason for that is bullying. There is no limit to what bullying in elementary school and middle school can do to a young child. No one wants to be treated that way by anyone....
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Accessibility
sponsored by Universal Design Newsletter

Proposals on Access for Disabled Stir Concern By Darrell Smith, The Sacramento Bee

Small business will bear the brunt of improving access for disabled people under proposed changes to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. That's the conclusion of a study commissioned by the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, which based its findings on construction costs, staffing and building size.Most of the proposed recommendations are focused on removing architectural barriers: modifying public entrances and restrooms; enlarging employee-only areas; and lowering light switches, alarms and thermostats....
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Customer Service
sponsored by W.C. Duke Associates, Inc.

NAD Files Complaint Against PETCO
National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. The complaint alleges that PETCO refused to provide qualified sign language interpreter services for four deaf couples who registered for PETCO's dog training class in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The couples provided and paid for interpreter services to ensure effective communication and meaningful access to PETCO's dog training class....
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Employment

University Disability Services Encourage Students to be Their Own Best Advocates After Flying the Nest
By Randy Lankford

Growing up in Seattle, Renae Goettel thought attending a boarding school for blind students would help prepare her for life in "the real world." It wasn't until she enrolled at San Antonio's Trinity University that she realized just how unprepared she really was. "Going to a high school for blind kids was good in a way, but it held me back in another," Goettel says. "They taught me how to read Braille, use a cane, navigate through a city and how to use public transportation -- everything they thought a blind person would need. But then when I left there, I didn't have everything a blind person could need. I had to adapt to life on my own without all those specialized facilities"...
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Marketing

State of Illinois and City of Chicago Open Doors With the Easy Access Chicago Guide

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity joined the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, the Open Doors Organization, and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau during an event at the Chicago History Museum to unveil Easy Access Chicago, a comprehensive visitor guide for travelers with disabilities. The 52-page guide provides detailed information about Chicago's accessible offerings, allowing visitors with disabilities to make informed decisions about travel during their stay in the city....
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News & Announcements

Federal Agencies Not Complying With Accessibility Standards

Complying with Disability Laws
By Olympia Meola and David Ress. Mediatalk listserv/ Richmond Times Dispatch

Berkeley Puts Up Balance of Funds for Disability Center
By Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle

Fan Is Hired, Not Merely to Inspire
By Pete Thamel, The New York Times

Disaboom and JobCentral.com Partner to Improve Unemployment Rate Among People Living With Disabilities