Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2018, Jump on this Train!

The 17th of May, a day about awareness, about accessibility and all the cool things accessibility brings along. It seems a nice day to tell you about my passion for accessibility, my thrive, (and many times) my endless over achievement to get people on the accessibility track. I love advocating, the talks to open eyes and of course the joy of success when people step on the accessibility train.

Somebody asked me about the things said in your youth, and the impact these comments had on your life. I answered negative, but regret that answer while writing this post. Why?

I live by fighting people telling me, it’s impossible!

And this is how I got to where I am now, to the best job I ever had, to a fun day of collecting enough people to push a resolution to the upcomming Christian Democrats Convention. My life is about accessibility of work, equality, about fair jobs and recognition of the talents of people with disabilities.

Why Awareness?

Why is there a need for a Global Accessibility Awareness Day? Quite simple, accessibility is not mainstream, it’s in the margins, it’s not the main stage topic when many boards of any organization need to set strategic priorities for the coming years. And this is strange, with changing demographics, and the call for equity by the Sustainable Development Goals. For financial independence, and the pressure by governments to get disabled people into jobs.

Many of these governments complain about the costs for welfare, and the costs to put people with disabilities to work. This is unfair, because there are many benefits to accessibility, and the costs are lower than anyone would expect. Today is the day to look at the benefits, about the reduction of sick leave, the knowledge to retain employees after a period of illness, and of course the specialized knowledge people with disabilities bring in any organization.

The Benefits Outweigh the Costs!

People with disabilities at work have limited extra costs, the average costs for workplace adjustments is 500$ per person. Than think about your aging customers, with limited digital skills, how can they access your digital environment? They experience issues with vision, with navigation, etc. What if the disabled person you hire, can offer the support needed to support these aging customers?

Than a second example, many organizations are looking for ways to increase productivity, increase employee satisfaction, to increase their profits. Millions are spend on this topic, from Chief Happiness Officers to specialized programs. What about the person with Down Syndrome, delivering mail, talking to colleagues, watering plants and supporting with distributing memo’s or copies from the copy machine. You could think, this is an unnecessary job, but it’s not. It’s the perfect way to get people to unwind, to have casual talks and get back to their jobs with enlightened spirits. 

Does this work?

Yes, it works, both examples are proven to be successful in organizations, and even more. Microsoft is working with people with Autism because they are the best programmers, and social enterprises house extremely happy employees. This is why I love my job, this is why I advocate for inclusion, even beyond my physical possibilities at times. And the only thing I can say is…..

It’s worth it!