Creating Corporate Culture Which Understands
by Artreach
Here’s the latest from the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC). The ADA has resulted in many changes in access to employment, to public accommodations and to the built environment, but it has lagged behind in creating access to the rapidly changing electronic environment. Sections 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, are the two most significant legislative measures to address this realm. They have the potential to ensure that people with disabilities will have full access to the information tools that others rely on for more productive lives.
The effective implementation of both Sections 255 and 508 will require more than addressing the engineering and design departments within information technology companies. The engineering and design professionals within technology companies will need to understand how people with disabilities function in many ways and in many contexts. In a corporate environment, some of this basic understanding should come from interaction with consumers and employees with disabilities. Many companies do not know how to create a corporate culture that is "disability friendly". It will be important to investigate and document the best practices of those companies that have embraced this culture and to build this knowledge into the training and technical assistance provided by the ITTAT center.
A priority of the center is to assist corporations in management of marketing, design, engineering and manufacturing so that the project design process is broadened to include consumers with differing abilities. We will develop training directed at senior management and marketing managers, which informs them of the needs and market potential of the aging and disabled population. The aging population is the fastest growing segment of the American population, and it has the largest disposable income. We all will most likely become disabled, be it temporarily or permanently, as we age. Even if accessibility is not an issue for ourselves, a growing number of us have concerns regarding an aging family member and their continued independence.
CRT and the Information Technology Association of American will organize three conferences each year for ITAA members and others who represent 400 of the largest information technology and communications firms. These training sessions will cover a broad spectrum of trans-generational and accessibility issues that can impact product design and service delivery, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and product sales. Our workshops will include a capacity building opportunity that will team each manager with a consumer. That way the managers and consumers can learn about various issues surrounding product development and service delivery from diverse perspectives. Consumer advocates will be trained by the DBTAC's in techniques of working with managers to create new understandings, which will lead to a culture that produces better products and services.
Steve Jacobs is Chairman of the 2001 International Access Engineering Awards Program.
You can email him at sjacobs2@columbus.rr.com for more information. | |