Welcome to SMG eNEWS™
2008, Sept 15th

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

A gaping chasm of inequities for people with disabilities
By Carmen Jones, Founder and President

I recently spoke with a university administrator, in charge of the school's diversity programs. She shared something that I've been saying for a while - 'disability is like the stepchild among diversity practitioners.' My work with employers and federal agencies has confirmed the gaping chasm of inequities that exist for people with all disabilities, especially in employment.

I was a college student when I became disabled and had to ready myself for the workforce. In spite of my grades, extra-curricular activities, and achievements, I received no job offers after 30 initial interviews and 2 second interviews. I know my story is like millions of other people with disabilities who desperately wish to work and are qualified to do so. I have come to find out that employers are missing the opportunity to target 800,000 college students with disabilities, who by 2010 will make up a group of 1.2 million.

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.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition—Design with a Purpose
By Joan Leotta

Wish you could make your home more disability friendly simply by waving a magic wand? Granted! In our very real world, ABC television’s show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition provides just such magic every week. On each episode, designers, contractors and several hundred volunteers transform a house and a family’s life in only seven days, at no cost to the family. These changes are not simply cosmetic upgrades or repairs. They often make the difference between a home that was inaccessible to one that allows the entire family, even those with a disabilities, to enjoy a comfortable and safe environment...
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Featured Article
Special to Disability-Marketing.com

Waiting is not an Option
By Joyce Bender, President and CEO of Bender Consulting Services

In 2010, we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We all believed we would be free; of course, freedom means we would all have the treasure of employment. We know that to be free in this country, we must be employed. You cannot buy a car, go on vacation, buy a home, or send your children to college without employment. No employment means no freedom. Who would ever believe that we are soon facing the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act and we still face a very high unemployment rate. Estimates for unemployment rates for people with disabilities vary from 30% to 60%. This is horrible! Do you think we would be happy in America with a 30% unemployment rate for all of us? We would be experiencing a depression....
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Accessibility
sponsored by Universal Design Newsletter

Parking Tiff Vexes Disabled
By Steve Law, The Portland Tribune

Politically correct Portland faces a prickly decision over proposed changes to disabled parking rights on downtown streets. A 2007 state law improved parking for people using wheelchairs and scooters, but eliminated a state mandate requiring free on-street parking for others with disabled-parking placards. Activists are miffed that the law passed with little input, and say it pits wheelchair users against others with disabilities....
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Lawsuits a Strong Reminder of ADA Compliance
Wichita Business Journal

A Wichita paraplegic has filed at least a dozen lawsuits in the past year against local businesses, claiming violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The lawsuits, which could cost area businesses thousands of dollars, send a stern message: ADA compliance needs to be taken seriously. But compliance can also cost a business dearly, says Jo Zakas, owner of Clifton Square LLC. Making necessary changes to her College Hill shopping area could cost her as much as $275,000 -- making it impossible to make the changes and stay afloat financially "It's a no-win situation," she says....
[ read the full article on Wichita Business Journal (subscription) ]

Customer Service
sponsored by W.C. Duke Associates, Inc.

Deaf to Sign Via Video Handsets
By BBC News

Many American deaf people preferred to communicate via sign language but this was impossible over current mobile networks. To cut down on the amount of data that has to be sent, a new approach looks for hand, arm and face movements and ensures that the face of a signer, where movements during signing are quite subtle, is presented in more detail....
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Employment

DOL Initiative Aids Employment of Vets with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD
By U.S. Dept of Labor

The U.S. DOL offers a new online resource to help employers in their employment of veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. The America's Heroes at Work Web site www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov provides information about these conditions as well as resources to implement workplace accommodations and other services. In addition, the Web site includes the toll-free phone number of the Job Accommodation Network, which employers can call to receive personal assistance relating to job accommodations for veterans with disabilities....
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News & Announcements

National Federation of the Blind and Target Agree to Class Action Settlement
By Target Corporation

Activists for Disabled to Protest 'Tropic Thunder' Movie
By The Boston Globe

US Business Leadership Network’s 11th Annual Conference and National Career Fair
By US Business Leadership Network