Carmichael Lynch’s Post

  When I returned to advertising agencies after acquiring my disabilities, I remember doing Google searches for talent with disabilities and speaking with colleagues about it.⁠ ⁠ SFX: Crickets⁠.⁠ ⁠ Fade to black.⁠ ⁠ Voice over: So in 2010, Lisa started her own business.⁠ ⁠ It wasn't 'that' long ago but you can be sure clients weren't lining up and demanding a heap of disabled talent in every scene.⁠ Nup.⁠ Zero.⁠ I've seen the industry change in that time. It's far from perfect but it has progressed.⁠ ⁠ I'm excited to see (and be able to promote) an ever-growing number of incredible humans with disabilities doing extraordinary (or ordinary) things and making our community visible in different ways all around the world.⁠ ⁠ You're all doing incredible things to rewrite the narratives around disability.⁠ ⁠ THANK YOU!⁠ ⁠ Bravo to the brands and businesses who aren't throwing disability inclusion in the 'too hard' basket.⁠ Particularly Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity - as I mentioned in my article in The Advertiser. Given your leadership position in the industry, let's hope there's an incredible ripple effect.⁠ ⁠ Maybe that's why I have the ridiculous smirk on my face?! It's a giant fk you to the tiny little Australian marketing CEO who told me that disability "just wasn't big enough" to warrant awards.⁠ ⁠⁠ Well, I guess if the world's largest, most prestigious and highly acclaimed advertising awards show can progress then perhaps he should too.  ⁠ Just a suggestion. But hey, what would I know? I have a disability, right?!⁠ ⁠#Advertising #InclusiveAdvertising #InclusiveMarketing #InclusiveFilmmaking #InclusiveProduction #InclusiveContent #CannesLions #AdvertisingAwards #Business #WomenInBusiness #MediaDiversity

Do you ever wonder if simple actions can truly make a difference in someone's life? Happy Disability Pride Month! Meet Camille Mitchell (our friend, Cara D. Mitchell's big sister), an inspiring author born with arthrogryposis. Her book, "Please Don't Stare," teaches children and adults about embracing differences and fostering inclusivity. Camille says, "For me, it's about creating a world where everyone feels seen and valued, regardless of their abilities." A parent shared, "My child feels more understood and accepted after reading Camille's book. It has made a significant difference in how they see themselves and others." How to Be a Good Ally: ⚫ Smile and greet people naturally. Examples: Say hello, make eye contact, and use a friendly tone. 🔴 Offer help if someone seems to need it, but always ask first. Examples: "Can I assist you with that?" or "Would you like any help?" ⚪ Learn and share information about disabilities to promote understanding. Examples: Read articles, attend workshops, and share resources with friends. Order Camille’s book "Please Don't Stare" on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/eEsUVSTF Join us in celebrating Disability Pride Month by supporting Camille’s impactful work! ❤️ #aftermarketALLY #DisabilityPrideMonth #Inclusion #Allyship  

Don't wait for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (month). Don't wait for Disability Pride Month. Don't wait for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Don't wait for any awareness day, week, or month to make progress with inclusion and accessibility in 2024. Organizations that take action on these any other time of the year communicate that they're important topics every single day. That's why I'm super excited to be the keynote at the American Marketing Association's Virtual Conference on January 24. By bringing me in, they're communicating the importance of accessibility in marketing to marketing leaders. And they're doing it at a time when there's no major accessibility awareness month. I've been working to reach marketers because they can easily expand their reach by incorporating accessible and inclusive marketing practices. If your organization needs help, contact me. By the way, the event is free to all attendees! See the comments for information. It helps to measure progress. Be sure to get a baseline of where your organization is today. P.S. What's one event you're attending in 2024? Comment below. 🔔 Tap the silent profile bell to catch the next post 👉 Follow #MerylMots to find all my content 📧 Drop me a line to book my speaking and training services #Accessibility #Marketing #Inclusion Image: American Marketing Association Virtual Conference: The Year Ahead in Marketing page. January 24 - 25, 2024. Meet the Keynotes, which includes Bennie F. Johnson and me. I speak on January 24 at 10 am CT. I have a black jacket with a red progress over perfection shirt. Bennie on January 25 at 10 am CT. Bennie has a black collared shirt and dark grey jacket.

You’d think I’d be thrilled to see the representation of disability in advertising (and other pop culture) heading North right now. After all, I’ve been on my #Accessible soapbox about it over here for yonks (along with awesome advocates like Kelly Wright and AZURE Antoinette). While I love knowing about members of the disability community creating visibility in any way, I’m disappointed because I know what’s yet to come.⁠ Historically, the same thing happens every several years when the Paralympics are on. Suddenly, advertisers, marketers and others find a way to include disability in their content⁠. YAY! Yeah, nah.⁠ Just after the Paralympics ends, the visibility of disability will take a dive. Then, representation becomes too hard, expensive and *insert excuse here*⁠ Sigh!⁠ The advertising #Copywriter in me understands why you'd jump on whatever's topical or trending. I’ve done it myself and created entire campaigns around something in the zeitgeist.⁠ But here’s the thing. Disability is not a faddish trend in the zeitgeist.⁠ The world’s largest minority is not appearing or going away on a date predetermined by the campaign strategy.⁠ ⁠ Nup!⁠ ⁠ Unfortunately, this doesn’t just happen to the disability community.⁠ If anyone watches GruenHQ then you would have seen advertiser todd sampson talk about the increase in advertising content with "darker skin tones" during Black Lives Matter.⁠But that representation ended not long after media coverage did.⁠ So what’s the solution for advertisers and others in popular culture who are creating content? Simple. Consistency.⁠ I've talked about this before, but here we go again! Representing diverse voices, faces, perspectives and more should never be a tick-box exercise or be socially responsible sporadically. Let’s ensure visibility of disability isn’t just something we do when the calendar dictates. ⁠Nobody I know goes by a calendar to choose the days they'll be disabled.⁠ Seamless inclusion isn't impossible and there are people willing to point you in the right direction if you need some help getting started.⁠ Here's to consistently diverse inclusion. #VisibilityOfDisability #InclusiveAdvertising #InclusiceMarketing #AvoidTokenism

Want to be a part of Disability Pride Month? Our community members know a thing or two about ways businesses can encourage access & inclusion. It’s time to get talking, thinking and learning about digital access & inclusion! What’s one thing your business is prioritizing this Disability Pride Month?👇 Carousel Description: 1: Title “What are you celebrating this Disability Pride Month? Hear from our partners & proud Pageant winners”. 2: Quote from Kiana Glanton, Ms Blind Diva 2023, “It’s been a privilege and an honor to represent my community. I know what it was to lose my sight and feel loss, and now I get to help other people who are dealing with adapting to their new reality.” Headshot of Kiana wearing a crown in a pageant below the quote. 3: Quote from Chandra Smith I realized that this wasn't my typical beauty pageant, this was about advocacy. It’s about the accomplishments of women who use wheelchairs for mobility. That is my definition of beautiful.” Headshot of Chandra wearing a crown in a pageant below the quote. 4: Quote from Ali Ingersoll, Ms. Wheelchair USA 2023, “Implement a low cost solution to improve inclusiveness within your business for people with disabilities, whether it’s digital accessibility or physical access. Awareness and education are the keys to impactful change.” Headshot of Ali wearing a crown in a pageant below the quote. #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityPride #pride #DisabilityInclusion #accessibility #DigitalAccessibility #accessiBe 

January 4th is World Braille day!  This technological tool allows low-vision and blind people access to books, magazines, and written instructions, essential tools for safeguarding education, freedom of expression, and social inclusion. This is another important tool for disability rights. Through braille, blind people can access the information they need without outside assistance. This is such an important communication tool when you think about disability history.  ID: The focus of the image is a cartoon woman reading a braille book at a desk. The upper portion of the image has a light blue background, with a turquoise blue half-circle covering much of the lower half. There is brown text on the upper portion, which reads "World Braille Day", with the word "braille" written in braille above the text "Braille" Below that is the woman. Beside the desk she sits at are the words "January 4th" The Thriving While Disabled logo sits in the lower left corner, with "https://lnkd.in/e-JUkpAt" across the bottom of the image.

Did you know that July is disability pride month? 🌻 Here's how you should be supporting the disabled community during this month and, every month! 🌈 1. Educate Yourself and Your Team: Learn about different disabilities and the barriers we face. Awareness is the first step to change. 2. Evaluate Accessibility: Check your website, social media, and physical spaces. Are they accessible to everyone? If not, make the necessary changes. Small adjustments can make a big difference. 3. Promote Inclusive Practices: Ensure your marketing materials represent us positively and authentically. Avoid stereotypes and showcase real stories. 4. Engage with Disabled Creators and Consultants: Collaborate with disabled influencers, speakers, and consultants to gain insights and create authentic content. Our lived experience is invaluable. 5. Support DisabilityRelated Initiatives: Partner with organisations that advocate for our rights. Show your commitment through sponsorships, donations, or participation in events. Being an ally during Disability Pride Month isn’t a one-time effort; it’s about making accessibility and inclusivity part of your business. 🪄 Celebrate Disability Pride Month by making real changes that create a truly inclusive environment for everyone. 💚 Photo description: Sassy in the centre of New York is looking off to the side in contemplation holding her long white cane.

July is Disability pride month, yet I mentioned to Jodie 💜 Greer yesterday that I found this month so far to be really uplifting but also deflating. So many fantastic uplifting posts about people being unapologetically themselves and using this month to educate others. So many companies have held events, workshops and attended talks and webinars to mark the month. These companies really embrace learning and developing, they are true allies. These companies welcome disabled customers and are striving to be inclusive and progressive. Good on them! But too many posts I see are from brands who offer products and services to the disabled community and are supposedly proud to support the disabled community. These companies want to be seen as an ally, only they don’t even meet the basic minimum of accessibility in their posts. I genuinely feel quite deflated by seeing posts full of emojis, with the use of unclear language and hashtags that aren’t camel or pascal case and even missing alt text or photo ID out altogether. 🤦♀️  Your inaccessible captions, your low contrast images, I could go on for ages! There’s only one conclusion I can come to. You are not an ally and are not a brand that truly embraces disabled people, therefore my potential brand loyalty will be shifted and my perception changed.  Know your audience, it’s the first rule of marketing. If you want more disabled customers and you think the way to do this is by showing your support of disability pride month at leasst make it inaccessible, Otherwise, it’s classic tokenism. It’s empty support that people can see through. #DisabilityPrideMonth #AccessibilityMatters #SocialMedia #DigitalMarketing #DigitalAccessibility #a11y

It's Disability Awareness Month! 💡Let's celebrate and recognize the incredible contributions of professionals with disabilities in sports, media & entertainment. Here are some key insights highlighting the potential for growth and inclusion in the industry: 🏅While less than 10% of media coverage is dedicated to the Paralympics compared to the Olympics, the popularity of adaptive sports is on the rise and there are more opportunities for brands to elevate these athletes and showcase their talents/achievements. (Open Library) 🎬 Currently, only 1% of characters on TV are openly identified as disabled, while nearly 19.1% of Americans live with a disability. This gap represents a unique chance for producers to enrich storytelling by incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences that resonate with a broader audience. (Pew Research Center) As we celebrate this month, let’s advocate for increased opportunities and authentic representation for individuals with disabilities both on-screen and behind the scenes in sports, media & entertainment. Share communities, resources, or tag people who are increasing opportunities for professionals with disabilities in sports, media & entertainment this month and year-round in the comments below. ⬇️