Disability:IN’s Post

As someone who struggles with chronic illness, pain, and mobility this guide is great. Every item on this list is something that I have a variation of or would love to have (minus the visual aid - that ship has sunk 😂). Disability is not a bad word and doesn’t mean we live horrible lives and need or want pity but there are many things that we need to consider in our daily lives and there are products our there that make it much less frustrating and easier. #disability #DisabilityGiftGuide

What happens when you Google the word "disability"? 9 times out of 10 an image of a person sitting in an ill-fitting self-propelling wheelchair will pop up in the top results...and yet only a small proportion of disabled people are wheelchair users! And how do you represent invisible - or non apparent - disability? Can it be done authentically? Our amazing Business Disability Forum team decided to focus on "Changing the image of disability". They created an image bank of people with various disabilities represented by disabled models in a multitude of settings (leisure, urban environment, workplace) doing different activities (shopping, going to the cinema, in a team meeting while using assistive tech). To celebrate #InternationalDayOfPeopleWithDisabilities, our Members and Partners can now register to access this image bank of an initial 480 photographs. And if you are meeting me next week for a presentation at your organisation (to celebrate the #IDPWD2023) you may get a glimpse of some of these brilliant images. 😉 #ChangingTheImageOfDisability #DisabilitySmart #IDPWD2023 #Disability #RepresentationMatters #Authenticity #Inclusion #Communication #Photograph #Image #Media #Resource Lara Davis Sarah Bartlett Elodie Vidal Courtney Swaby Lucy Ruck

1 in 4 people in the UK has a disability and 1.3 billion people globally. Despite this, disabled people are often under- or mis-represented in images. Our 'Changing the image of disability' campaign aims to increase representation and improve how disabled people and disability are portrayed in images. We’re kicking off with a Disability Smart Image Bank and guidance on how to select, commission and use disability-smart images for Business Disability Forum membership, but there’s more to come in early 2024. Find out more about the ‘Changing the image of disability’ campaign: https://ow.ly/VvaE50QbZyH Image description: Photo from our members-only Disability Smart Image Bank. A young woman with Cerebral Palsy who uses bright green crutches looks at dresses in a shop. Photograph is copyright Business Disability Forum. #IDPWD #IDPWD2023 #DisabilityRepresentation #Representation #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilitySmart #DisabledPeople #DisabilityAwareness #Photography #Images #ChangingTheImageOfDisability

As we near the end of April, we're reflecting on the incredible energy and advocacy poured into Autism Awareness & Acceptance Month. From insights from self-advocates to community resources to celebrations of Autistic joy, this month has been truly amazing. Let's keep the conversation going! Share your favorite moments, insights, or resources from this month in the comments below. We'll start with this post from Disability:IN! #AutismAcceptance #AutismAwareness #AutismAwarenessMonth #CelebrateDifferences #NeurodiversityAcceptance

We want to support #DisabilityPride by increasing and improving representation of disabled people in the images we see in the media, advertising, and marketing. Our guidance on how to select, commission and use disability-smart images is completely free and open to all. It includes practical tips on accessibility, alt text, how to have an inclusive photo shoot, how to represent less-visible disabilities, and more. The guidance is part of our 'Changing the image of disability' campaign. Access the guidance: https://ow.ly/WXq050SsLbO Find out more about 'Changing the image of disability': https://ow.ly/I4G250SsLbN [Image description: Person with bright green walking sticks looking through clothes in a shop. The Business Disability Forum 'Changing the image of disability' logo is in the lower right corner of the image.] #DisabilityPrideMonth #DisabilityRepresentation #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilitySmart

Join us for the 2024 Disability:IN Annual Conference and Expo from July 15-18, 8 AM - 5 PM EDT. This premier event brings together corporate, government, and disability-owned businesses, along with Disability:IN Affiliates, to create inclusive workplaces, supply chains, and marketplaces. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eqrtA4gT #DisabilityIN2024 #AccessibilityForAll #InclusiveWeb #DisabilityInclusion #WebAccess #WebAccessibility #DigitalAccessibility #InclusiveContent #AccessibilityCompliance #DocumentAccessibility #AccessibilityStrategies #PreciseMetrics #RealWorldExamples #InclusiveDesign #AccessibilityInsights #WebAccessibility

Allsup celebrates National Disability Independence Day Today is a reminder to work together toward making a more accessible world, which is a great way to support independence. Here are some tips on how to make the world more accessible: • Alternative Communication Methods- Providing non-traditional modes of communication can help individuals with disabilities. For example, restaurants can provide communication cards or tablet apps for patrons. This allows non-verbal customers to place orders or communicate with staff. • Visual and Tactile Signage- Implementing both visual and tactile signage in public spaces assists individuals with visual or cognitive impairments in navigating the environment. • Quiet or Sensory-Friendly Hours- Offering designated hours or days with reduced sensory stimuli can enhance experiences for individuals with sensory sensitivities. This includes dimmed lighting, lowered music volumes and fewer crowded spaces. Check out this blog, “25 Ways to Make the World More Accessible,” for more information on how we can help those with disabilities become more independent in a more accessible world. https://lnkd.in/g-7CENYE … Allsup has helped over 400,000 people receive SSDI. Call 800-678-3276 or visit us at: https://lnkd.in/gvWWbsYY #NationalDisabilityIndependenceDay #ApplyForSSDI #SSDI #AllsupSSDI

Some disabilities are represented more often than others in the images we consume. In research we commissioned from Ipsos UK, 26% of respondents said wheelchair and mobility scooter users were most likely to have been seen in content to represent disability. But less than 1 in 10 disabled people in the UK use a wheelchair. With our 'Changing the image of disability' campaign, we want to increase awareness of the diversity of disabled people and disability. We also aim to improve perceptions, increase representation and create a more authentic and realistic view of disability. Find out more about 'Changing the image of disability': https://ow.ly/tsqy50RigWP [Image description: Changing the image of disability research findings. This quote in a purple box: "I think businesses are getting better at representation but often it's a wheelchair user (and therefore not actually very representative)." BDF survey of communications, marketing and brand leads, 2023. The Business Disability Forum Changing the image of disability logo is at the bottom of the image.] #ChangingTheImageofDisability #DisabilityRepresentation #DisabilitySmart #DisabilityInclusion

We need to be intentional with #DisabilityInclusion to avoid the aftermath of reactive accommodation. Creating an environment where people with disabilities are seamlessly, integrated, empowered, and celebrated for who they are and not what they look like is what we are asking for. This can be achieved by asking questions, listening to people with disabilities, and implementing the findings through ensuring representation, accessible spaces, disability education, and using #InclusiveLanguage. #DisabilityAdvocacy #Representation  #RepresentationMatters #Accessibility #DisabilityAwareness #NothingForUsWithoutUs #WhenYouSeeUs   #IncludeUs Image Description: A white background graphic with a photo of a #BlackDisabledWoman to the right in a wheelchair. She has long black straight hair and is smiling broadly. She is wearing red lipstick, black pants, a black long-sleeved top, and a black and white turtle poncho. Her hands are locked to the front and her elbows are supported by the wheelchair armrests. The Divas With Disabilities Logo is to the top right in red font. Text: Proactive Inclusion is better than Reactive Accommodation. The text is in black font, and the words Inclusion and Reactive are highlighted in red.

Within the disability community, we know technology can be a barrier or a bridge to #DisabilityInclusion. While software and application #Accessibility are crucial, integrating #AssistiveTechnology into business processes is essential for ensuring equitable employment outcomes and effective workplace communication for professionals with #Disabilities.   On Wednesday, Disability:IN hosted a moderated panel discussion, Ensuring Equity Through Effective and Accessible Communications, to further examine how assistive technology can advance inclusion for professionals with diverse disabilities. During the webinar, moderated by Jenny Lay-Flurrie (of Microsoft), attendees learned from Christopher Grous (of Texthelp), Sena Pottackal, MS (of Current Global), and Wendy Adams (of Sorenson Communications), as they shared key insights around effective and #Accessible communications.   Thank you to our moderator and panelists for driving this conversation forward! To attend future webinars, contact Mackenzie Ward (Mackenzie@DisabilityIN.org) or learn more at https://lnkd.in/eSahAeG [ID: Dark blue and light blue background with green decorative lines behind white text, Ensuring Equity Through Effective and Accessible Communications. Below the text is an illustrated screen with a Zoom screenshot of Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Sena Pottackal, Chris Grous, Wendy Adams, and an ASL interpreter. Jenny is a woman with short blond hair wearing glasses and a gray sweater. Sena is a woman with long black hair wearing a black shirt. Chris is a man with short dark hair and a long beard wearing a hoodie and jacket. Wendy is a woman with short, curly champagne hair wearing glasses and a black turtleneck. The ASL interpreter is a woman wearing a black top and glasses. At the bottom is a white Disability:IN icon logo.]