I recently attended two meetings to advocate against the reduction of a service offered to people with disabilities. I am writing this to share my perspective as a disabled professional working in the accessibility field and to offer advice to local organizations that serve and support the disability community.
I hope decisions like this don’t become a normal response.
To give some context, these meetings were held to gather feedback and ideas following a quick decision to reduce services to minimum legal requirements after “exceeding expectations” for over 20 years. It is important to note that the disability community and support organizations were only involved in the decision-making process when it seemed too late.
Dozens of families and local leaders have contacted me and attended these meetings to advocate and oppose this decision because it will prevent people with disabilities from being able to engage and participate in daily activities such as health, school and work.
In my opinion, the organization does not fully understand the significant impact of this decision on the people who have used this service over the past 20 years, the local organizations who view them as leaders, and the community as a whole.
Something that affects people with disabilities will have a significant community-wide impact, particularly from an economic and financial perspective. If people cannot work, shop, attend events, go to class or vote, the community will feel the effects, with nearly a quarter of the population living with a disability.
Not only that, but families, friends and colleagues in the disability community will also be impacted by the need to step up and help fill these new gaps.
The whole implementation of this change felt very sudden, non-negotiable and rushed.
To any organization that serves and supports the disability community currently feeling the economic impacts, here are some tips to consider before making a drastic decision:
- If the decision impacts people with disabilities, include people with disabilities in the discussion and decision-making. Never assume that you know what is best for a community that you are not a part of. As soon as you identify a problem, involve communities that might be affected.
- If you plan to hold public meetings, provide ample notice to allow people with disabilities to coordinate and attend. Not everyone can jump in their car and drive across town with 24 hours notice. Also clearly explain where meetings are held.
- If your leadership team doesn’t include representatives from the disability community, you may be missing the mark without even realizing it. Assign decision-making roles to people who represent the same community you serve and support.
- When asking questions or collecting feedback, do not overlook or minimize the situation. For most of us, we’re just as uncomfortable in these conversations as you are, and being given a time limit or hearing “thank you” in response to a question is neither productive nor meaningful.
- Consider all of your options before narrowing down to what is legally required.
- Involve your partners. Include them in the conversation and inform them as soon as possible so they can adapt to the changes.
- Consider your reputation. Statistically speaking, the disability community makes up over a quarter of the population and word of mouth is powerful.
- If you are seen as a leader and settle for the minimum required for financial reasons, you are likely helping others make a similar decision. They will likely follow suit and scale back their activities, which will take them in the wrong direction, moving away from an accessible and inclusive future.
- Don’t be afraid of collaboration to drive innovation. People with disabilities are constantly adapting, innovating and finding new solutions. Asking for help or support is not a bad thing. The result may even be better than it was initially.
I’ll stop here because I understand that every company is focused on their bottom line, but pulling the rug out from under a community that has had to fight for a similar, not equal, experience doesn’t seem like the first choice. Hopefully my advice will help prevent other organizations from following this approach and moving the needle back.
If you find yourself in a difficult situation and don’t know where to start, who to ask, or how to get people involved, just contact me at james@jameswarnken.com. I’m always here, ready and happy to help you in any way I can.
James L. Warnken, a Stark County resident who was diagnosed with genetic retinal dystrophy at age 9, is a digital marketing and digital accessibility specialist at Apex Communications Network.