I am often asked in my global travels, – “Why does the United States litigate so much?  Why do you always sue each other?”  Or I get comments that start like this: “You Americans..” That always make me smile and cringe because I figure the person is going to take a shot at my country.   I am proud to be an American, but I also believe that the United States can learn a lot from other countries on many subjects, especially on Disability Inclusion, ICT Accessibility and Accessibility of the Built Environment.  So why does the United States litigate so much?

Recently, an accessibility expert from Sweden asked me a question during #AXSChat, a tweet-chat held each Tuesday at 3pm on Twitter about #Disability Inclusion and Accessibility.  She said, “Debra, do you think the United States would have made as much progress without litigation?”  I have been asked that question many times in my travels.

I answered, “Unfortunately, I do not think we would have had the same progress.  Our reality is that in the US we create legislation and then pound out our laws by litigating with each other.  Then we refer to the legal cases to determine the best way to follow and strengthen our laws.”

Neil Milliken, Head of Accessibility and Digital Inclusion at Atos and co-founder of #AXSChat, sees litigation for accessibility as a possible solution elsewhere.

“In the UK disability legislation has since 2010 been part of the broader Equality Act (EQA2010). Whilst there have been a few cases they have predominantly focused on services and employment the law places a duty on organizations and people not to discriminate and to be proactive in doing so.

Although I am not a fan of the sometimes parasitic model of litigation that we see outlined by Debra in the US, I do feel that accessibility in the UK could benefit from a test case much like some of the early class action cases in the US so that case law can help define and refine the understanding of Digital Accessibility and companies can meet what are currently poorly understood and often ignored legal obligations.”

 

Although the process took many years to achieve, I will never forget the brave leaders who fought for our rights for so long.  Staging protests, rallying, speaking to the press, and organizing events all strongly affected the eventual passage of the ADA.  One protest stands out to me.  It became known as “the Capital Crawl”. Over 1,000 disability rights activists and protesters left their wheelchairs and mobility devices and crawled up the 83 steps of our Capital Building, simply asking for the same rights and equality any other American had.

These amazing leaders fought for the Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities. As a result, the

American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George Bush on July 26th, 1990. Our family applauded these leaders knowing that they were fighting for all of our rights, including those of our daughter, Sara Ruh who was born in 1987 with Down syndrome.

Would the United States have made as much progress without laws like the ADA or Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508, 504 and 503?  I do not believe we would have made the progress.  I also believe that these leaders efforts encouraged other countries to fight and to continue to fight for their rights.  Now we have the United Nations Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (CRPD).  I am hopeful the United States will ratify that convention in 2016.

Could we have made as much progress without these laws and litigation?  I do not think we would have.  Why?  Organizations mean well, -but they have many competing interests.  For clarification, -I use the word “organizations” as a placeholder for corporations, nonprofits, universities, local, state and federal agencies.

Most organizations create an annual strategic plan and update it throughout the year.  The organization has to determine their strategic focus by considering many moving parts including changing laws, standards, industry changes, business climate, and risks.

Inclusion of individuals with disabilities has become more of a risk in the last few years.  A few years ago a colleague mentioned a conversation with a General Counsel of a Fortune 100 firm.  The General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer noted that he had accessibility on his risk list for many years but it was way down on his list – maybe on the 15th page of things he was worried about. He noted that recently it has moved up to about page 3.  Still not the top three things that kept him up at night, but it had moved up significantly on the things that were adding risk to the firm.  What is keeping him up at night? These organizations have a lot of risk to worry about- such as privacy, security, globalization, branding, changing technology, and many other items.

For years, the United States has seen ADA complaints and lawsuits about disability discrimination and inaccessible websites.  Most of this litigation is settled out of court.  The most famous case was the complain against www.Target.com that turned into a class action lawsuit and was eventually settled out of court.  It is interesting to note that www.Target.com is now one of the most accessible websites.

There is a troubling trend happening in the United States with a significant uptick in legal complaints and filings.  Recently a law office sent a letter out to many major online retailers threatening them with lawsuits because their websites were not compliant or accessible.  The letter told the retailers not to reach out to accessibility consultants.  Instead, they were told to contact the law office and they would arrange to get them accessibility help with their websites.

Most of these attorneys are conscientious and want to assure that the websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities.  However, a growing group of lawyers seems to realize that they can make a lot of money filing complaints against businesses and universities.  Why?  Well, most websites are still inaccessible to persons with disabilities.  They understand that inaccessible websites can be a gold mine if lawsuits are won or settled on the behalf of the plaintiff.

Some lawyers actually do not care if the website is ever made accessible.  They work with clients with disabilities and go to different websites and see if they are accessible.  If they are not accessible, the lawyer files a case and hires an accessibility subject matter expert to validate that the site is not accessible.  Then the organization being litigated against agree to pay a settlement.  The attorney takes the lion share and then pays out the plaintiff.  Those law firms keep accessibility experts on retainers and some are getting a large lump sum for each case. Generally, these cases do not go to trial.  The problem is that the websites are not made accessible so individuals with disabilities lose.

This also happens with ADA complaints against small businesses because the business was not physically accessible.  I understand the ADA is over 25 years old and it is past time that the Built Environment and Internet, Communications and Technology should be accessible.  My complaint is directed to lawyers who make money via litigation but there are no expectations of access.

Universities are also being targeted because of inaccessible websites, student portals, eLearning and other accessibility issues with their ICT.  Individuals with disabilities are attending and graduating from universities in record numbers in the United States.  It is critical that all students have full access to every aspect of the educational process.

“It’s true that U.S. higher education institutions face liability for inaccessible web content and technologies much like they did in the 1990s with inaccessible buildings. In fact, at last count, we’ve had over 27 higher education accessibility lawsuits, complaints, and settlements in recent times. However, there is very limited advocacy coming from people with disabilities compared to the ‘Capital Crawl’ movement. The driving force for change has been the National Federation of the Blind and the U.S. Department of Labor and their federal agency counterparts.

What can Universities do to protect themselves from legal complaints while still meeting the needs of the students with disabilities? The first and primary step is to develop and implement an information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility institutional policy and procedure.

There are several resources and good examples to draw upon. One helpful resource is the summary web page that has been published by The University of Washington.  What we’ve seen is that ensuring compliance, securing the resources and maintaining procedures as technology shifts are usually the primary challenges institutions face.” -Dr. Christopher Lee, Department Head of AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center  

Some lawyers are adding a lot of value to these conversations.  One of the best recognized attorneys in my opinion is Lainey Feingold.  Lainey has become a champion to many in the community of persons with disabilities.

I visited her website, and gathered this information.

Lainey Feingold is a disability rights lawyer who works primarily with the blind and visually impaired community on technology and information access issues. She is nationally recognized for negotiating landmark accessibility agreements and for pioneering the collaborative advocacy and dispute resolution method known as Structured Negotiations.

Structured Negotiation is a collaborative and solution-driven dispute resolution method conducted without litigation. The goal is to help the organization become accessible so that the community of persons with disabilities and many other parts of the population, including aging citizens and non-native speakers, can have access to the content of your website with no ulterior motive.

Structured Negotiation appears to be a win win for everyone because the goal is to reduce the digital divide and provide access to everyone.

What do you think?  Are we moving equal rights to technology, employment, transportation, housing and other parts of society forward by litigating in the US?

Join Neil Milliken, Antonio Santos and me on our weekly Twitter Chat. Just search the hashtag #AXSChat at 3pmEST and join the conversation. We chat about disability inclusion, empowerment, employability and accessibility.

#AXSChat has also featured Lainey Feingold as a guest. Check out her video interview

#AXSChat – “Inclusion Matters”

We watched the media surrounding the signing of the ADA on television 25 years ago. My husband and I had followed the efforts being made in Washington, D.C. with great interest as persons with disabilities championed for the passage of this important legislation. It had become personal to our family. Before it became personal we believed that all Americans should have equal rights, but we did not understand all the implications and nuances.

Our daughter Sara Ruh had been born a few years earlier with Down syndrome (DS). She was not diagnosed until she was four months old, which was unusual at the time. I was 28 years old when I got pregnant with Sara and so the doctors did not recommend prenatal testing because there was no history of disabilities in my family.

I do remember that right after Sara was born a strange thought floated through my mind that she looked like a baby with DS. I immediately dismissed this because I did not know what babies with DS looked like and I did not know anyone who had it. Plus I was on pain medication because of the difficult birth.

A few months later, following some tests, a doctor diagnosed Sara as having DS. The doctor called us into the office and gave us the news that changed our lives. He doctor told us that she would be easier to raise than a child with ADHD. He also noted that she might never learn to walk or talk. He sent us to a geneticist and we were told that she might get pregnant at 16 so be careful. These well-meaning doctors were not very helpful. We decided to not listen to their negative comments with information that seemed out of place.

As we sat in the meeting room, hearing the news that our daughter’s path was going to be much different than what we had anticipated, we did not realize that people all over the United States were fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities.

The 25th Anniversary of the ADA is powerful for our family and for people all over the world. The ADA was one of the most powerful civil rights legislations of our time. The United States has accomplished so much during the 25 years of the ADA. Our family is so thankful to the people that fought for Sara and other persons with disabilities.

Sara Ruh did not get pregnant at 16 and she learned to talk and walk. Today she is an artist, a thespian, a dancer, and a motivational speaker. She has spoken all over the world to audiences as large as 5,000 at a time. She has been employed with Nordstrom’s for the last 9 years.

Sara has a good life and she spends a lot of time volunteering and helping other people. Her life matters and she has more options because of the people that fought for her rights and got the ADA passed 25 years ago.

The United Nations promulgated the Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and unfortunately, the United States has yet to ratify it despite the fact that 150+ other countries have done so. There’s a perception that signing the CRPD is unnecessary as we have the ADA. However, in order to incorporate newer benchmarks of accessibility, we need to be part of a global mandate that fosters a culture of inclusion for all citizens, including senior citizens. Disability is not a narrowly defined concept, but a spectrum that is inclusive of all abilities.

Join G3ict and other leaders in helping assure that persons with disabilities have access to ICT, education, employment, and a host of services that go towards making life productive, successful and valuable.

To learn more about Debra Ruh please visit: www.RuhGlobal.com.

– See more at: http://g3ict.org/resource_center/newsletter/news/p/newsletterId_/id_534#sthash.qrCQAYZn.dpuf

Love, Compassion, Tenacity and a Desire to improve his Sister’s Life: A story about Eric Zeiberg

By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

What can we accomplish when we put our minds to it?  Eric Zeiberg of Connecticut believes we can accomplish anything even helping his big sister learn to communicate with him.

It is always interesting when a friend or family member creates a product to help another friend or family member.  This is a cool story about a young man that wanted to make a difference in another child’s life.  At the time Eric was in the 6^th grade and 11 years old.  One of Eric’s family friends has muscular dystrophy and has trouble speaking. She is practicing physician and writes on a simple notepad that she wants to say, and shows to people to communicate. Eric was fascinated as she wrote something on paper and showed it to others. “It could have been so much better if she could write on iPad and iPad would “speak” for her,” Eric thought.

Eric was intrigued and did some research to discover there were no handwriting-to-text applications.   He decided to create one because he knew it could help his friend but also could help his sister Julie.  Julie now 23 was born with Autism and has speech impairments.

Eric says “Julie was my inspiration for the whole project.  She can’t communicate, and it’s really hard for her to get words out.  This is a starting point for helping her.”  The app was finally ready on Dec. 2 with the debut of HandySpeech at Apple’s app

store, the only handwriting-to-speech iPad and iPad Mini.  The application can help anyone with speech problems including  people with Autism, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, CP, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and post-operation voice difficulties.

Plus it is easy to use.  All it takes is a finger or a stylus to write in the yellow section at the bottom of the iPad screen, then hit the speech button, and the writing turns into a male or female voice.

Was HandySpeech easy to produce?  “I started from scratch,” Eric said. “I didn’t know anything about the programming languages you use. I just had experience with computers. First I had to learn how to build the application — all the technologies and the Internet and how to code, and I used tutorials and websites to help me build it.”

Eric also gained two partners — text-to-speech software company iSpeech and handwriting recognition software maker PhatWare.

The app provides for automatic corrections, learns user writing patterns, and allows simple finger gestures to insert special characters such as space and return.

Eric has a new version with several new features including:

• Phrases: you’ll be able to scroll down a list of phrases such as “Please wait while I am writing” or “How are you?” and click on any one, and a voice will say it.
•  Speech speed control, so you can slow down or speed up the voice.
•  Ability to upload the app to an iPhone.

As you can imagine Eric’s father Boris is very proud of his son’s tenacity and desire to help not only his sister but millions of other people around the world.

“I am very proud of him because he put his mind together, saw it through, and did something significant, but mostly because he shows that he cares about people.” Boris Zeiberg

The App sells for $29.99 and can write and “speak” in 13 languages, including Dutch, French, German, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Italian, U.S. English, British English, and Portuguese as spoken in Brazil and as spoken in Portugal.

For details, call 860-874-8212, email info@iSpeak4u.com, or visit www.iSpeak4u.com

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.

Take the Survey Here!

By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

I am writing a series about people with abilities and am proud to tell the story of one amazing woman named Jessica Cox.

I am blessed to meet interesting people all over the world that are making a difference. It is time to celebrate our differences and understand that we come in all shapes, sizes, colors and abilities.

Many years ago a neighbor told me that she cried for me

every night because our daughter Sara was born with Down syndrome. I was shocked because I never thought of Sara being born with Down syndrome as a “tragedy”. Sara has so many gifts and I believe she is perfect the way she was born. She was born with hazel eyes, brown hair, a beautiful soul and Down syndrome. As she grew she complimented these god given talents with a good sense of humor, quick smile, compassionate heart and other talents.

It is time to rethink the negative connotation of a person with disabilities and instead focus on the entire person. Each of us has abilities and disabilities. As we live our lives our gifts, ability and disabilities shift and change.

Jessica Cox is a perfect example of someone that is using all her abilities to make a huge difference in the world.

Jessica Cox a 30 year old born with no arms but born with many other talents. From a young age she was determined to make a difference and fully embrace her life. She is a beautiful, talented and amazing young woman.

Jessica Cox has achieved more using just her feet than most people. She also decided at a young age to not let anything get in the way of accomplishing her dreams. She achieved a black belt in Taekwondo at the tender age of 14. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona by typing papers with her toes.

She always dreamed of becoming a pilot, and in 2008, after years of persistent effort, she achieved this goal by soloing a single engine 1946 415C ErcoupeAirplane. Cox loves adventure sports—rock climbing and snowboarding to name a few—and she just made her first sky dive in January. Cox is named in the Guinness World Record for being the first armless person certified to fly an airplane.

She is also a sought after motivational speaker, mentor, and advocate for living your life to the fullest. She has traveled the world from Europe to Australia and Africa, sharing her inspirational story. She has spoken at the World Economic Forum and the Pentagon, met Pope Benedict XVI and President Obama, and appeared on The Ellen Show and CNN. She also recently won a Susan G. Komen Inspiration Award.

Her speeches emphasize the importance persistence and dreaming big. “There are two words I’ve eliminated from my vocabulary,” Cox says. “’I can’t.’ Because once you say those words, you’ve already failed.” She also emphasizes the importance of inclusion and opportunities of for persons with disability.

A documentary called RIGHTFOOTED is being created to document Jessica Cox’s life. Her goals are to change attitudes about

what’s possible, and to inspire change. Want to learn more about Jessica Cox and her most recent project? Visit her Indiegogo campaign at bit.ly/Xyx15O where she is currently raising funds to support a trip to Ethiopia to advocate for disabled kids. For more information please see the press release at http://bit.ly/WfxlZj.

Please help me spread these stories by sharing them with your networks. You can find more information about my work at www.RuhGlobal.com. Please follow me on Twitter, Linked-in, SKYPE, Tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest: @debraruh

Social Media and Accessibility

By Debra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications

I am a big communicator and to be honest it got in trouble a lot in school for chattering.  In High School, teachers said that I couldn’t stop talking and my Mom often got notes about this issue.  I remember in 5^th grade my teacher saying if one more person talks or laughs you will be staying after school.  You guessed it that made me giggle and yes – I stayed after school and then stay in my room that weekend on restriction.  I love to talk, sing, write and just chatter.  My family and friends understand and usually appreciate this about me.  Sometimes I think my husband wouldn’t mind gagging me but after 29 years of marriage he would never openly say that because then we would have to “talk” about it.  He says that I even talk in my sleep.

So I bet you have guessed it – I LOVE social media.  Social Media allows me to chatter with people all over the world.  Plus I can get instantaneous chatter back, I remember when Virginia had our earthquake (okay California- no wise cracks) it was traumatic for us.  I couldn’t believe how many aftershocks we felt.  One night we had a 5.3 aftershock and it woke everyone up in the house.  My husband and daughter went back to sleep but I was shaken and started thinking scary thoughts like what if a really big one comes and what if a tree falls on the house.  I have a great imagination and sometimes I don’t appreciate it late at night.  So I got up and got on my social media to chatter about it and calm my nerves.  I chattered with people all over Richmond and it really helped calmed me down and made me feel safe knowing others were feeling the same way.

I also use social media to chatter about the community of people with disabilities (PwD) and accessible Internet, Communications and Technology (ICT).  I believe that the community of PwD is starting to find our voices via social media.  However, there are some significant accessibility problems with social media.   We find that many social media tools and applications are not blending accessibility into their products.  So PwD are often left out of the social media conversation and movement because they are inaccessible

Really – come on – can’t everyone be allowed to participate?  If we don’t make social media accessible than we continue to widen the “Digital Divide” and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) one in seven people are impacted with disabilities worldwide.  Plus 1 out of 3 households in the U.S. are impacted by disabilities.  Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions.

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.

Can an organization really afford to lose this audience?  I don’t think so and this community is really chattering on the more accessible platforms so if social media tools are not accessible those platforms stand to lose out on major benefits.

Sometimes we hear that it is too hard to make an application or platform accessible.  How ridiculous – accessibility should be built into the system just like you would build in privacy, security or usability.

There is NO excuse to not make your Social Media applications fully accessible so that everyone can use them.   In years past, developers were afraid that making the application accessible would make a system less usable or “dummy” the system down.  Once again, ridiculous – we have seen amazing strides with accessible social media and now it is BAD design if you do not blend accessibility into the process level.

Want to know more?  Join our free webinar on Accessible Social Media or download a free trial version of our Accessibility Management Platform (AMP) it is a knowledge platform that has tons of tips, online training and suggestions for making applications fully accessible.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

The ROI of Hiring Technologists with Disabilities

By Debra Ruh, Founder of TecAccess, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

Employers looking to gain a strategic edge may find that hiring technologists with disabilities provides an attractive return on investment.  Technologists with disabilities give everyone from private industry to educational institutions a way to improve the accessibility of their technology, hire a diverse workforce, and drive in more business by focusing on social responsibility and inclusion.

Individuals with disabilities represent a huge market segment and a large untapped workforce.  Additionally, with the recent amendments to the ADA and the updates coming soon to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, technological accessibility needs to keep pace with the new legislation.  These developments will require employers to address accommodation issues in the workplace, something that can be helped by having employees with disabilities in high tech and management positions.

However, disability related myths can impede this process.  I worked with one large company that basically said, “We are going to decide what jobs can be done by persons with disabilities and then direct individuals with disabilities to those positions”.  But it’s not the place of the employer to determine what jobs people with disabilities can do.  An employer simply need to make sure that its HR systems and processes are fully accessible, and if a candidate applies and is qualified for the job, interview them and hire them to do the job.  Period.

Employers can make a wise investment in hiring technologists with disabilities.  A recent Department of Labor report indicated that workers with disabilities consistently meet or exceed the job performance of coworkers without disabilities.  One good example can be found in a Canon facility outside of Chicago that began refurbishing cameras.  They hired people with intellectual disabilities and the first year the program saved over $19 million.  They also noticed that the plant’s overall productivity increased at a higher rate than other locations.  Employees at the plant also reported increased morale and pride to work for the company.  Such intangibles can be valuable to employers seeking a competitive edge in the marketplace.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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?

It is critical to assure that the workplace is accessible for your current employees and future employees.  Sometimes people think workplace accessibility is only critical to new hires but it is also critical to retain your talented employees.  Replacing employees is very expensive.

A study by the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley evaluating the effects of the US Family Medical Leave Act found that “turnover costs for a manager average 150% of salary, including tangible costs of hiring new workers and relocation, and intangible costs such as the new worker’s inefficiency and lost productivity while the job is vacant.” The same study, incidentally, found that the cost of a temporary replacement is only 39%).

How can workplace accessibility help you retain the talented employees currently working for your firm?  As employees move through the lifecycle they sometimes are impacted by temporary and permanent disabilities.  It might be because of age, or a stroke, disease like cancer or diabetes or maybe an accident like a sports or car accident.  However, many employees can still be productive if the workplace is accessible and accommodations are provided.  Companies want their employees to be productive and do not want to lose the value assets of the employee or their intellectual capital.

What can you do to make your workplace accessible?

Assure that all HR systems are fully accessible including benefit programs, PTO, and any other internal systems.

When you hold training programs online and in-person be sure the training is fully accessible.  Assure all intranets and internal service programs are fully accessible.

Train your managers, recruiters, managers, supervisors and team members about accessibility and inclusion.  Be sure your employees understand that diversity is critical and part of your organizations culture.

Offer accommodations to all employees.  Sometimes employees need an accommodation because they broke their arm or hurt their leg.  An accommodation can be as simple as a closer parking place or a one handed key board or allowing an employee that is hard of hearing utilize and instant messenger program.

Also be sure that all videos are captioned so all employees can have access to the data.

Look at all the touch points you have with employees, clients, vendors, partners and other stake holders and assure all touch points are accessible

• Websites
• Online HR Systems
• Intranets
• Service Centers
• Products and Services
• Promotions – Marketing & Communications
• Procurement
• Training

Make workplace accessibility part of your culture and blend it into your processes.  Workplace accessibility will allow your employees to be more productive and creative and assure a solid ROI for all stakeholders.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group