Inclusion and disability—5 strategies to guide year-round commitment

Inclusion is a buzzword in nearly every industry these days, but the popularity of the term hasn’t necessarily ushered in a blessed new era of it. Inclusion often remains an afterthought—a checking-the-box exercise rather than an intentional practice within campaign development, especially when it comes to the disability community. To be successful and really take root, inclusion must go beyond the awareness of representation and incorporate intersectional customer experiences supported by equitable customer service platforms. When advertisers want to approach their inclusion efforts in an authentic way that promotes understanding and helps strengthen knowledge around disabilities and access needs, there are a few things to consider. Webinars and thought-leadership articles have become the baseline for promoting understanding for any marginalized group. But don’t forget about focus groups and co-creation panels. Whereas webinars and articles tend to provide common themes within a community, focus groups allow you to hear more of the raw stories, the hidden truths and systemic frustrations that customers with disabilities experience when engaging directly with a brand’s retail, experiential, online or mobile app experiences. The strategic approach of building focus groups and co-creation panels is mutually impactful by creating an open space where real experiences can be shared and innovation can be uncovered. This kind of feedback goes beyond celebratory awareness posts and informs customer experiences, relationship strategies, customer service platforms and innovative products. What’s more, disability is not a monolith, nor does it impact a person or household only in March (National Disability Awareness Month) and October (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) when brands choose to amplify the cause. Year-round action keeps brands’ messaging consistent and accountability top of mind. Given that consideration, these are strategies that advertisers and marketers should prioritize to meet access needs, create opportunities for representation and raise disability awareness in tangible ways that will reach and support the community: Hiring and retention strategies If a brand is promoting disability awareness in the marketplace, how is this aligned with the workplace experience? Brands should partner with organizations to address the systemic gaps in hiring practices of persons with disabilities, as well as the environment in which they will be working. Upskilling hiring managers in developing and retaining employees with disabilities is an important component that must be addressed as well. Amazon and Lowe’s are great examples of how inclusive hiring practices can impact the commercial and social success of a company and the workplace. Intersectional representation and equitable customer service Go beyond the binary of disability, which is often represented by a person who uses a wheelchair. Disability shows up differently based on temporary, seasonal and permanent circumstances and can manifest itself physically, sensorially, mentally and intellectually. The customer service for a person with disabilities should acknowledge and address the intersecting inequities of race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status. Mass-market strategies for this community will likely stifle the potential innovation and impact if intersectionality is not considered. Inclusive onboarding CX strategies If a brand is promoting disability awareness at the top of the marketing funnel, how is this translating to the CRM onboarding experience? Persons with disabilities have niche needs and motivations that differ from mass-market strategies. Address the systemic barriers and frustrations associated with your consumer experience journeys to ensure equitable and accessible onboarding for this customer base within the first 60 to 90 days. Source feedback by employing CX surveys that will continue to inform future optimizations. Direct connections with the community Hearing directly from the communities in which brands are celebrating is imperative. To accomplish this, brands should listen internally first via employee resource groups or other small meetings. In the following months, companies can then create actions based on those learnings. This opens the door for brands to further hold themselves accountable by setting inclusion targets, which impact the social mobility of the represented group. ADA compliance as only the baseline Accessibility and mobility without disability inclusion is a missed opportunity. A brand promoting “accessibility or mobility” does not always guarantee that the services and product solutions can support customers with niche needs. For example, let’s say an automotive brand promotes mobility solutions in TV commercials but the dealership team has not undergone disability inclusion sensitivity training. This could likely lead to a less-than-positive customer experience for individuals looking for adapted cars to meet their mobility needs. If progress is made toward the respective inclusion targets, brands are more likely to have a larger share of voice in the trending conversation because they have data and dollars to report out. A sustainable cycle is begun for brands to create not just safe spaces of listening and learning, but also intentional spaces of action and accountability. Consumers want this full spectrum of inclusion. The time will always be now, no matter what month it may be. 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Inclusion and disability—5 strategies to guide year-round commitment

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