Have you noticed more companies are preaching their support for accessibility? We now even have a day set aside for the recognition of accessibility on a global scale, but outside of the Microsofts and Apples and Googles of the world, what is the rest of the industry doing to put their rhetoric to the test?
It used to be that companies could claim ignorance about what it took to make accessibility a priority. They didn’t have the staff or the resources or the knowhow to make the products inclusive of blind and visually impaired customers. Then diversity, equity, and inclusion crashed into the public consciousness, and all of a sudden everyone was rushing to find ways to make themselves out to be sensitive to the needs of marginalized communities. Except, if the pandemic taught us anything, it is how woefully behind blind and visually impaired people are compared to their peers when it comes to technological inclusion.
So what did businesses do? They sought out temporary solutions like web overlays. It was a slap-on fix and a slap to the people who need reliable services to interact the same as anyone else, but it was also a reluctant acknowledgement that customers with disabilities also matter.
New Self Advocacy Tool for the Blind Preserves Dignity and Encourages Inclusion
Now, with products like Remote Incident Manager (RIM) and Scribe for Meetings, we’re holding their feet to the fire. For both RIM and Scribe for Meetings, we’ve created a simple set of templates called a self-advocacy kit. These are pre-prepared templates you can use to make a case for why you need products like RIM and Scribe for Meetings on the job. We realize sometimes it’s hard to outline the benefits of granting reasonable accommodations in the workplace. We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation and have set you up for success with these toolkits.
Simply choose the template you need for the scenario that best meets your needs. Adapt the language to the proper point of contact, and submit it.
If your place of business has additional questions, we’re standing by to field those questions on your behalf. You don’t need to create a second job out of selling the technical aspects of our products. We do that for you.
Then enjoy the benefits of integrating products like RIM and Scribe for Meetings into your workflow. We have a long standing reputation, going back more than 15 years in the case of RIM, for offering products that are affordable, intuitive, and deliver clean results without the distraction of bells and whistles you’ll never use.
More importantly, we think it’s time for companies to put their money where their mouth is. If they truly care about serving customers equally, and taking care of their blind and visually impaired employees, it’s time to take that next step by adopting products built by and for the blind. Anything less than direct collaboration with our community is just one more voice in a chorus of competing excuses for why something is impossible.
Go ahead and check out the RIM Self-Advocacy Kit and the Scribe for Meetings Self-Advocacy Kit. We’re in your corner and want to do our part to make you the best performer you can be!
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