VML’s Post

The Drum 🥁 asked agency leaders how they're keeping accessibility and disability rights top of mind as the Paralympics are ending, and disability awareness is likely to fade from the spotlight. Our Director of People & Culture, Mary Braxton Jenson, shared her take below. ⤵  “We’ve made significant strides toward accessibility, especially with the rise of hybrid work. This includes implementing physical accommodations to workspaces for anyone with a physical disability but also encouraging flexible work arrangements to help with non-visible disabilities. Our goal is a supportive environment where everyone can contribute. While the marketing sector has made progress, more work is needed to ensure accessibility for all – inside and outside of the physical workspace. By focusing on inclusivity and providing necessary accommodations, we can create a more equitable and welcoming industry.” https://lnkd.in/eWVQ4ruV

Celebrating 34 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act! A landmark in equality, it continues to break barriers and champion accessibility for all. Read more about the history of the ADA below! https://lnkd.in/dXZEVQj #ADA34 #InclusionMatters

My Op-Ed in 2022 while Commemorating #IDPD2022. The question is "Why DID is key to apply in our development work? #DID #LNOB #BridgeCRPDSDG #NothingAboutUsWithoutUS Disability-inclusive development is an overarching development approach that ensures the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all stages of the development work. The disability-inclusive development approach is underpinned by key human rights principles and founded on the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Therefore, the current decentralized forms of governance have a larger scope to ensure the meaningful participation of all. The disability-inclusive development approach removes all barriers–attitudinal, institutional, environmental, and communication.

Check out this article I wrote for the the co-lab in honor of National Disability Independence Day, which commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. I’ve put together a collection of my favorite ads that celebrate inclusivity and accessibility, including those from Microsoft, International Paralympic Committee, CoorDown, National Down Syndrome Society. By sharing these, I want to celebrate the strides we've made in disability representation and inspire others in the industry to keep pushing for more meaningful, inclusive storytelling. These campaigns are powerful examples of how advertising can truly resonate when it authentically represents people of all abilities. They are not just ads, but rather powerful narratives that challenge stereotypes and push for a more inclusive world. They remind us that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has unique strengths and stories worth celebrating. As marketers, we have the responsibility and privilege to use our platforms to create content that reflects the diversity of our world and fosters understanding and acceptance. By championing acceptance and accessibility in our work, we can help build a society where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered. Let's celebrate the progress we've made while recognizing the work still ahead. #DisabilityPrideMonth #DEI

Celebrating #DisabilityPrideMonth: A Time to Recognize Achievements and Advocate for Inclusion July is Disability Pride Month, a time to honor the rich history, contributions, and experiences of people with disabilities. It also serves as a critical reminder that the fight for equal opportunity and inclusion continues. This month coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed in 1990, a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities    [Source: The Arc, https://lnkd.in/gGcrBXz3] Why Does #DisabilityPride Matter?  People with disabilities make up a huge portion of the global population – 1 in 4 adults in the US alone identify as having a disability   [Source: Carers Solutions, https://lnkd.in/dRhwHhfr]  Disability Pride Month is an opportunity to:  Celebrate achievements: Recognize the many talented, successful individuals with disabilities across all fields.  Raise awareness: Educate the public about the diverse experiences of people with disabilities and challenge misconceptions.  Advocate for change: Continue to push for a more inclusive world that removes physical and social barriers. Let's celebrate the incredible contributions of the disability community and work together to create a world where everyone can thrive! Wen Charlton 🏳️🌈Balaji Thiagarajan TechDigital #DisabilityPrideMonth2024 #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityPride #ADA #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion

🛎️Introducing the New Disability Inclusion Toolkit: A Comprehensive Resource for Creating Inclusive Environments We are thrilled to announce the release of our brand-new Disability Inclusion Toolkit, now available for download! This essential resource has been meticulously developed to help organizations, educators, and individuals create more inclusive environments for people with disabilities. The toolkit offers a wealth of information, including: 1. Practical Guides and Best Practices: Step-by-step guides on how to implement inclusive practices in various settings, such as workplaces, schools, and public spaces. 2. Accessibility Checklists: Detailed checklists to ensure your physical and digital environments meet accessibility standards and are welcoming to all. 3. Resource Directory: A curated list of tools, and further reading to support your ongoing efforts in disability inclusion. Whether you are just beginning your journey towards inclusivity or looking to enhance your existing efforts, the Disability Inclusion Toolkit is designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to make a meaningful impact. Download the toolkit today and join us in our commitment to creating a more inclusive continent for everyone! Download the Disability Inclusion Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/eiSMpAh2 Together, we can break down barriers and build communities where everyone can thrive. #inclusion #disabilityinclusiontoolkit #salthousebusiness #salthouseafrica

Happy Disability Pride Month! @Traeonna (Kimono Kitsune's proprietor) is a proud member of the D/A community...as is Kuma! Kimono Kitsune is a disabled-owned and operated business. We believe that many of the most incredible ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds, and experiences, which is why we are committed to cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment in which everyone belongs. Disability Pride Month is an annual celebration throughout July to promote awareness and acceptance of Disability as an identity, community, culture, and pride felt by people with disabilities. Disability is a broad umbrella term for bodies and minds (bodyminds) that vary from the historically traditional definition thought of as ""normal"" by our society. We look past the medical definitions to see the individual human as a holistic and intersectional person. Through variation of identity, disabled people bring diversity, beauty, and uniqueness to the human experience. Since 2015, Disability Pride events have commemorated the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act through celebratory parades and pride events in honor of the hard-won rights and protections the ADA brought to the Disability community in 1990. We celebrate the wins but still have a long way to go for equality. Kimono Kitsune treasures our diverse horde of humans who are part of our team, our VIPs, and all the others who interact with us. #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityPride #DisabilityLife #disability #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityInclusion #inclusion #DisabilityIdentity #TheBarriersWeFace #InvisibleDisability #equality #accessibility #crippride

This has been weighing really heavy on my mind, so I just have to share with you all. In a recent article, Rebecca Ogbonna, a remarkable disability advocate, shared her personal experience that highlights the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals. Rebecca opened up about a difficult situation she encountered at a popular boutique fitness chain, a place that I myself have enjoyed working out at. It turns out that they used to accommodate her needs perfectly being visually impaired but then the company decided to deny her accommodations (read the full article from Disability News Service here: https://buff.ly/3SZRfaY ) As a DEI expert, I can't stress enough that denying accommodations to people with disabilities isn't just wrong, but it goes against the equality act and everything inclusion stands for. Every space should be open and welcoming to all, full stop. 🙌 The company’s own website brags that its workout sessions “create a space for people from all dimensions of diversity in an environment that is accepting, inclusive and free of hate”. This highlights something I say a lot - that policies alone are insufficient and can even be detrimental if they are not actively implemented and followed in practice. Merely having guidelines or rules in place does not guarantee meaningful change or progress. It is the consistent execution and adherence to these policies that truly matters. This situation should be a wake-up call for all organisations to prioritise accessibility NOW. Are you checking your policies, workplace environment and customer experiences for barriers? This is the only way you can remove them 🚧 Are you bringing in DEI consultants and listening to the voices of the disability community to make sure your services are inclusive ? Get in touch with Diversity Alliance as together we can create experiences where EVERYONE feels valued and included. #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionForAll #DiversityandInclusion

From article: "Today, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the world turns its attention to the need for digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. Yet beyond the customary acknowledgments lies a pressing call for genuine action. While businesses may seize this day as a prompt to contemplate their stance on disability representation, true inclusion demands more than token gestures. It mandates the active engagement of disabled voices at every level of an organisation. Approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Shockingly, according to our research of 1,000 disabled individuals from across the world, just 2% feel accurately portrayed in media and marketing. Additionally, over 50% encounter barriers when accessing content and products. With an estimated $13tn (£10tn) in annual disability spending power at stake, the need for businesses to authentically engage with this vibrant and diverse community has never been more pressing. To achieve authentic and inclusive disability representation, disabled people must have a seat at every table, whether it be in the boardroom, the writers’ room, the product development lab or consumer focus groups. The active inclusion of disabled people in such critical decision-making spaces is the only way to guarantee that barriers are identified and addressed, and truly inclusive solutions are developed. Their perspectives, insights, and experiences are invaluable assets that can drive innovation, improve products and services, and foster a more inclusive marketplace for all. Countless examples demonstrate how improving disability representation has increased innovation and driven revenue, such as the accessible makeup applicator HAPTA from Lancôme, a Valuable 500 company. Tailored for individuals with limited dexterity, HAPTA features stabilised beauty tools designed to mitigate tremors. To launch it, Lancôme used disabled brand ambassadors and inclusive marketing. The consumer response to HAPTA’s innovative design secured its recognition as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023. Meaningful progress demands a holistic approach that transforms relationships with the disability community and drives meaningful progress toward a more inclusive society. While the cultural shift towards true disability representation requires time and investment, there are tangible and achievable steps that every company can take to get started." [Further explanation of points 1-6 is in the article.] 1. Build awareness and intent 2. Engage and empower the right people 3. Ensure inclusive casting and production environments 4. Use processes and tools to embed capability 5. Cultivate an inclusive culture 6. Measure, test and learn https://lnkd.in/gK3WAvRb #disability #awareness #accessability #employment #inclusion #representation #nothingaboutuswithoutus #business

In today's business landscape, fostering an inclusive environment for people with disabilities isn't just the right thing to do, it's a strategic advantage. Including people with disabilities doesn't end with meeting the accessibility needs of those disabilities, it comes down to treating them similar to how you treat your non-disabled employees. This is known as #normalisation. Want to know more about disability and the process of inclusion? Take our online self paced Disability Awareness Program! https://lnkd.in/gjYgRUJs For any other info write to us at [email protected] #InclusionMatters #DisabilityInclusion #TransformingInclusion #DiversityEquityInclusion #Awareness Richa Bansal Arjun Vishwanathan Sandeep Bidani Ph.D Yamini P Kapoor Shruti Pushkarna