Author: Rosemary Musachio, Chief Accessibility Officer at Ruh Global Communications
Recently, Ruh Global Communications appointed me its Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO). In my role, I will manage internal and external accessibility projects. I will ensure that accessibility best practices will be followed within the company and help clients meet their accessibility needs, including website and product accessibility. I will consult on accessibility and inclusion issues that clients face from the employee to the customer level.
Every business needs to include accessibility in its fabric to become stronger. Otherwise, it will rip and create big gaps. Making every aspect of a company accessible and inclusive increases productivity, embraces diversity with common goals, and promotes more of a positive image to the public. According to Frances West, CAO of IBM, “Today, it affects everyone’s use of a product or service and helps deliver information in the most consumable way possible. Organizations that have embraced and embedded accessibility throughout the enterprise are better connecting with customers, expanding their market reach and creating an inclusive workplace environment where everyone has the best chance of success.”
Since I have cerebral palsy, I bring a personal perspective to my role as CAO. I know what a company needs to do for employees with disabilities to feel accepted and purposeful, and what a business must do to serve customers with disabilities with consideration and respect. Other persons with disabilities have held CAO or similar positions. For example, Microsoft recently hired Jenny Lay-Flurrie as its new Accessibility Director. Becoming deaf from an ear infection during childhood, Jenny will integrate her personal experiences into her new position. As it’s inferred in the article Talk to the Hand, Lay-Flurrie’s motto “You can do anything” is helping Microsoft execute programs to assist persons with disabilities with technologies. For instance, she helped plan Ability Summit, a showcase of products and services to empower them for the future.
Another accessibility executive who has a disability is Jonathan Avila. His vision impairment has brought a personal perspective to his job also. Who else better than a person who cannot see can develop solutions and innovations for users with vision, as well as other, impairments? Avila also serves on WCAG working group and mobility accessibility task force.
You can be skilled at accessibility testing and know all about best practices and guidelines. But the first-hand experience of facing accessibility barriers gives a CAO an extra edge. It brings empathy to the role, making the CAO passionate about helping businesses bulldoze those barriers that other persons with disabilities have encountered.
If a company even creates a COA or a Director of Accessibility position, it is taking a smart business move. With 15% of the world’s population having a disability and $1 trillion in aggregated spending by consumers with disabilities, appointing a skilled COA will allow a business to be more profitable and reputable. If the skilled COA has a disability, it makes the company more credible, sending a strong message to the public that it is serious about accessibility.
Learn more about our work at www.RuhGlobal.com or follow us on Social Media @rosemusachio, @debraruh and @ruhglobal on most channels.
Ruh Global has created a survey for clients to determine travel preferences for people with disabilities and all stakeholders. Please take this survey and pass to others to complete. Thanks for helping us gather this critical data. Our goals are to encourage hospitality and tourism to value, accommodate and include people with disabilities. Please share and take the survey. It is not only for people with disabilities but family members, friends and other stakeholders.
Steve Jobs. Image from: www.businessinsider.comDebra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications, Founder of TecAccess
What obligation do we have to society? Are we born to improve lives for other people or to just take care of ourselves and our families? I believe that we are born into this amazing and complicated world to contribute. We should use the many gifts we have to make the world a better place. I also believe we can bloom where we are planted regardless if we have access to resources and money.
A photo of Sara Ruh as a baby
In 1987 a doctor told my husband and me that our 4 month old daughter had Down syndrome. We were stunned, confused and devastated. What would that mean for this baby and for our lives? I also started to wonder what I could do to help the community of people with disabilities. Over the years we figured that out step by step because there are so many ways we can contribute to our society and communities. Our daughter continues to inspire us every single day and we work hard to add value to the community of people with disabilities.
Steve Jobs is a shining example of what can be done to make the world a better place. How can technology make the world a better place? The ways are abundant. Technology can be used to help a young child communicate with their parents for the first time using the iPad and some cool applications. Allow a brilliant writer with Cerebral Palsy to finally write that book that has been locked in her head. Help a programmer with vision loss become more productive because now they have access to better communications and tools. Help a veteran with TBI remember the sequence of steps to handle an application that he rarely use to support his job as a technician.
Technology can help level the playing field. Can it solve all the problems? Of course not but it can allow people with disabilities to actively participate in all aspects of society including the workforce.
I have never met Steve Jobs and was surprised at the impact his passing had on me. I am very sad and feel the loss in a way that is deep and surprising. To help me work through these feelings – I reached out to others feeling the same way via social media and started reading and contributing to the chatter.
Tim Carmody, Author for Wired Image from: www.niemanlab.org
One post that touched me was created by Tim Carmody a contributor to Wired Magazine. I have never met Tim but after reading his tweet knew he was “part of my community”.
Tim’s tweet:
“@tcarmody I’m on my way to PHL to see my son, who uses a device Steve Jobs invented to help him talk. He will never know. He will never know.”
That tweet gave me chills as I read it and brought tears to my eyes.
I then read his blog:
“My son is on the autism spectrum and has a severe receptive and expressive language delay. He’s 4 years old, and can read and spell words, and sing entire songs, but is more like an 18-month- or 2-year-old in normal conversation. He cannot use a telephone and has a hard time sitting still for video telephony. He has a thoroughly well-loved iPod Touch, filled with videos and apps that have helped him learn to speak and augment his ability to communicate.
My tweet about my son was retweeted almost 500 times, more than anything else I’ve ever written in 140 characters, and put me in touch with other parents of children with special needs — strangers — some seeking information, some wanting to share their stories.
It may be a stretch to say Steve Jobs invented the iPod Touch or most of the technologies contained in it. But Steve Jobs certainly put it in my son’s hands, both by making it a sub-$200 device (and in our case, giving it away free with a laptop) and by helping to create an ecosystem of software applications for people with disabilities — perhaps especially communication disabilities.” http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/10/steve-jobs-disability/
My daughter, Sara Ruh, using different Apple Products simultaneously. Sara has Down Syndrome and loves the Accessibility Features that Apple’s Products offer
I think that summed up what I was feeling – Steve Jobs changed the world with his technology, leadership and ideas. I watch our 24 year old daughter with Down syndrome use her iPad to play Angry Birds, listen to podcasts, improve her reading, communicate with her friends and surf the net. She has used other laptops and operating systems but always with a lot of help. With her iPad she can do all of this independently and it has improved the quality of her life. Many times adults like Sara Ruh get isolated after they leave the school system. She works part-time for Nordstrom’s but her hours were cut back during the worst of the economy. She has worked for Nordstrom’s for over five years and is proud to be one of their team members. The iPad allows her to stay connected with friends and an active part of society. Those accomplishments may seem small to some people but believe me these are life changing accomplishments for our family.
1 out of 3 households in the U.S. is impacted by disabilities. Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions. Recently the World Health Organization published a report that noted 1 in 7 people worldwide are impacted by disabilities. The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment.
Plus this is not just about people with disabilities, 96% of American has said they will spend more money to support an organization that includes everyone and is involved in social good.
Want to understand the strength of the chatter by our community – look no further than Apple under the amazing leadership of Steve Jobs. They made the iPhone and iPad accessible for the community of people with disabilities. We are now singing their praises and buying their products like never before. I have read and written article after article, blog after blog about their efforts.
Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works. Image from: tophdimg.com
Steve Jobs has left an amazing legacy and the world is a better place because he was part of it. He will be missed and many of us will wonder what else he could have done if he had more time. Steve Jobs will be remembered forever and I believe that his legacy will continue to grow and expand. What legacy will you leave?
To follow up on Debra Ruh’s current endeavors, follow her on social media: @DebraRuh or visit Ruh Global Communications
Debra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications, Founder of TecAccess
By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications
I have spent a long time pondering 2011 and all the lessons and opportunities that I encountered during the past year. I ask myself how I can take those lessons and use them to improve the lives of people with disabilities. As a diehard technologist, I believe that social media can expand our voices. I also believe that social media can be used to help people with disabilities around the globe find their place in the world.
The time has come for people with disabilities to find our voices. Let’s use social media to be heard and to help others be heard. We can change the lives of billions of people by including people with disabilities in all aspects of society. We need to help change the mindset that having a disability is a bad thing or something to be ashamed of.
My dear friend and Co-Worker, Rosemary Musachio is a brilliant woman who happens to have Cerebral Palsy
Instead of it being a bad thing let’s celebrate our differences and allow people with disabilities to be seen as whole and not broken. During a recent speaking engagement a young man asked me if he should disclose his disability to an employer. I have been asked this question a thousand times and it breaks my heart each time. What I hear is a young man saying that he is afraid to be honest about who he is because an employer might judge him negatively. In many cases that may be true and it is a failure of our society on so many levels. We need to allow people to be proud of every aspect that makes them different, and encourage them to celebrate their differences and special abilities.
Debra and Sara Ruh at Maymont Park in Richmond, Virginia. Wearing Pinup Girl Clothing
A few years ago, my daughter was sitting at the table with my husband and I was nearby. She said, “Dad, Mom is doing it again.” My husband said, “What is Mom doing?” Sara quickly responded, “She is telling people that I have Down syndrome.” It brought tears to my eyes, and I jumped up and said, “Sara, you have brown hair, hazel eyes, a great smile and Down syndrome. Never be embarrassed about the way God made you.” We talked about it for a long time and she told me she was not embarrassed but sometimes did not understand why I talked about it all the time. I told her that this was our path – to help people understand why people like her add value to the world. Sara has spoken for global audiences many times since that conversation and she firmly believes the world is a better place because she is a part of it.
We are all different but at the same time we have so many similarities. As I travel all over the world that point becomes more and more clear to me. I believe that families across the globe want the best for their family members with disabilities. I have had the fortune to meet parents of children with disabilities in Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Ireland, India, England, Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand and all over the United States. Without exception these families wanted their family members with disabilities to have opportunities and have the resources to meet their goals, follow their passions and have their dreams come true.
Sara Ruh meeting Eunice Shriver
I have also had the pleasure to meet talented people with disabilities all over the world. I believe that something amazing is happening. People with disabilities and the people that love them are finding their voices. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Four Square, Tumblr and BlogSpot are wonderful ways for people with disabilities to find their voices. Other countries are using tools like Renren, Youku.com and Sina Weibo in China, and Bebo in the UK – opening new opportunities for people with disabilities to have a voice.
I believe there is a trend to move away from the charity based model of, “let’s help those poor people with disabilities,” and instead we are witnessing a movement toward a model of empowerment. A more robust and promising model where everyone is included because society benefits when everyone participates to the best of our abilities. Plus, we all benefit when people that think differently work together to improve the world and solve societal problems.
Share Socially!
Let’s look at the problems that exist globally with inclusion and put our minds and hearts together and solve these issues. Work to include people with disabilities in technology, internet, communications, education, employment, transportation, travel, housing and every other aspect of society. As you hear about success stories, share them across your networks.
Find your voice and help others in the community find their voices as well. Let’s celebrate and embrace our differences and let our voices be heard – blog, write articles, tweet your thoughts and share interesting articles. Follow other thought leaders and become a thought leader in your own right. Look for opportunities to mentor people with disabilities around the world.
Please join me in giving people with disabilities a solid and positive voice in 2012.
To follow up on Debra Ruh’s current endeavors, follow her on social media: @DebraRuh or visit Ruh Global Communications
TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible
Debra Ruh, CEO of TecAccess and her daughter, Sara Ruh
For many, the ability to telework — working remotely, usually from home, via computer — is viewed as a pleasant convenience, a benefit offered by progressive employers to enhance the work environment. But for the employees of TecAccess, it is a necessity of professional life.
“Commuting to work is annoying for many of us,” said TecAccess founder Debra Ruh. “But for most of my employees, it’s impossible.”
TecAccess, an electronics and information technology (E&IT) company, employs more than 30 associates, nearly all of whom have disabilities ranging from quadriplegia to cognitive disabilities. Many TecAccess employees, including market analyst Rosemary Musachio, require access to assistive technologies or personal care assistance that makes it difficult to work outside the home. Musachio, who has cerebral palsy, cannot speak or use her hands, but uses a word board and headpointer to communicate, both in her work for TecAccess and as a regular columnist for Sun Newspapers.
According to a 1997 U.S. Census Bureau report, the employment rate for adults aged 25 to 64 with a severe disability is just above 30 percent (and has hovered at this level for the past 12 years), with median earnings of $13,272, compared with an 84 percent employment rate for adults without disabilities, who also draw nearly $23,000 in median earnings. But constantly improving assistive technologies and a global telecommunications infrastructure have made access to higher paying, flexibly scheduled jobs more achievable.
And broadband, said Ruh, has made it practical.
About 70 percent of TecAccess associates use broadband to telecommute, collaborating with one another and with their clients. The remaining 30 percent, including Ruh herself, are dialing up and waiting not-so-patiently for broadband to become available in their areas.
“Broadband is so important to where we’re going. Some people think broadband is trendy, that it’s a nice convenience, but not really necessary,” Ruh said. “But not for TecAccess associates and for the millions of other people with disabilities.
“Broadband isn’t a luxury. Broadband is the difference between quality of life or not. It’s about being able to work and being able to interact in ways that haven’t always been possible for people with disabilities. One of our associates said to me, ‘You gave me my life back. You gave me my respect back.’ “
TecAccess specializes in information technology (IT) accessibility as well as compliance solutions for Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 1998, providing accessibility testing and assessment, training, engineering, policy review and consulting. Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The quickly growing company’s clients include some well-known corporations, including Avaya, Wachovia, Verizon, Canon and Circuit City, not to mention U.S. government bodies, including the Navy, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
Sara Ruh, Chief Inspiration
Ruh, who started TecAccess in the late 1990s, was inspired by her daughter, Sara, who has Down Syndrome. Ruh, a former telecommunications and IT professional, realized that the future employment options for Sara were limited, so she decided to create an IT company that would hire mainly people with disabilities.
“People said, ‘Oh, open up a bakery, open up a T-shirt shop,” said Ruh. “But what do I know about cakes or clothing?”
Instead, Ruh created a company with a specialized mission and a compelling logic: evaluation and development of disability-accessible technologies by people with disabilities.
Originally, the company’s focus was on building accessible Web sites for companies, work that is clearly a perfect fit for the telecommuting model. But as the company expanded, they found an increasing number of their clients were looking for assistance in Section 508 compliance and the accessibility of technologies beyond the Internet. From there, growth has been rapid and exciting.
For example, one corporation that was working with TecAccess on various accessibility projects asked the company for its recommendation on the “dream copier.” If money were not a consideration, what would a totally accessible copier look like? Sean Stapleford, a TecAccess associate who is paralyzed from the neck down, came up with 15 pages of ideas, from symmetrical voice automation (the copier both responds to voice commands and provides voice prompts to assist users with tasks) to a copier that senses when it needs to be repaired and automatically contacts the technician, or in some cases, repairs itself.
Sean Stapleford and Debra Ruh
“The client brought Sean’s ideas to their engineers in Japan, who were really excited by what he suggested,” Ruh said. “They are actually building some of his ideas into their next design.”
Ruh is counting on broadband to continue to open doors for people with disabilities. True high-speed connectivity not only supports a “virtual office,” by allowing video conferencing and transmission of large files and applications between locations, but provides people with disabilities — typically a more isolated and under-served population — with more opportunities to interact socially, learn marketable skills and achieve increasing fiscal and social independence.
Ruh is excited about the possibilities for herself and her employees with fiber to the home. For now, she’d settle for access to a DSL line (she estimates that she’s contacted her local carrier no fewer than 30 times in the last year or so to see if broadband is available in her area yet!), but for the long term, she knows her associates, and millions of other individuals with disabilities, will need as much bandwidth as they can get.
“The technologies that assist people with disabilities are constantly improving, offering more options, more independence and more accessibility,” said Ruh. “If telecommunications can’t keep up with our technology, we might as well just slow down our technology. And that’s not going to happen. That can’t happen. So let’s make sure the telecommunications can keep up with us.”
As for TecAccess, Ruh and her associates continue to draw big corporate clients, with the dual goals of both improving technology accessibility as well as growing the employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Ruh has set her sights on developing a curriculum for training people with disabilities for information technology professions.
“It’s time for more companies like this, don’t you think?” said Ruh. “And without broadband, without the Internet, we could not have this company. We would not exist.”
For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group
To follow up on Debra Ruh’s current endeavors, follow her on social media: @DebraRuh or visit Ruh Global Communications
