The whole scope of the problem is rarely visible at first glance.
Left unattended the issues you don’t see often do the most damage.
How well do you understand the needs, strengths, and capabilities of people with disabilities?
If you’re like most leaders, there is room for growth. Studies show that most individuals hold at least one negative misconception about people with disabilities, and these beliefs are a primary cause of exclusion, inaccessibility, and substandard performance for businesses.
Nobody wins when 28 percent of the population is left on the sidelines.
Thankfully, The Access Opportunity Tour is here to help you level up and make an impact.
In the next few paragraphs, you will learn how you can improve accessibility, inclusion, and organizational culture without sacrificing standards or the special elements that make your organization unique.
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| I can tell when someone has a disability by looking at them. | The vast majority of disabilities are invisible to the outside world. |
| People with disabilities aren’t capable of working at the same level as their peers. | When bias and barriers are minimized, people with disabilities often outperform other employees. |
| Accessibility is expensive. | Developing a strategic access plan leads to greater profitability, more innovation, and a superior user experience. |
| “Becoming inclusive” is really just a polite way of saying “lowering standards”. | Authentic inclusion of people with disabilities has been tied to raising standards and improving overall team performance. |
| Society should focus on taking better care of people with disabilities. | While some individuals must rely on the safety net due to certain circumstances, most people with disabilities want to utilize their strengths, gifts, and talents in a meaningful way. |
The Problem is the myths listed above are not benign. There is a distinct link between such falsehoods and a pervasive lack of opportunity and prosperity; for people who want to achieve full participation in society. These aren’t just misunderstandings; they are signals that we only see as part of the problem.
Naturally, when we operate from an incomplete perspective, unintended consequences follow. It doesn’t have to be this way.
| Impact on People with Disabilities | Impact on Society |
|---|---|
| People with disabilities experience about twice the unemployment rate of their peers and often earn far less for comparable work. | Businesses struggle to attract, hire, and keep the best talent. |
| One in four people with disabilities lives in poverty. | Social infrastructure becomes overburdened and less able to meet the needs of its constituency. |
| Most websites, and a shocking number of physical structures, fail basic accessibility requirements. | Organizations face ADA-related lawsuits every year, and countless transactions are abandoned because of fixable barriers. |
| People with disabilities are often unable to utilize community services or visit the house of worship of their choice. | Communities lose opportunities to serve, which leads to cascading problems and unintended exclusion. |
| People with disabilities experience documented negative health outcomes unrelated to the original condition that led to the disability. | Healthcare systems carry more unnecessary cost, while patients and providers alike experience preventable frustration and suffering. |
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Stephen Covey
You don’t change outcomes by forcing people to adopt a new belief. You change outcomes by encouraging people to question the beliefs they already have.
The goal of The Access Opportunity Tour is not to fix every misconception on the spot. Rather, the goal is to create a safe space where participants suspend their current assumptions, reflect, and consider issues from a different perspective. It’s not an indoctrination. It’s a chance to view life through a different lens.
Our approach utilizes a powerful blend of lived experience and subject-matter expertise to reframe seemingly intractable problems. Some of the tools we use in these human-centered conversations include:
Small assumptions. Scaled consequences.
Awareness. Insight. Action. This is where real change begins.
When awareness, insight, and intentional action come together, they create something powerful, something that can transform how people think, work, and connect.
The solution is achievable, practical, and deceptively simple..
This formula is the difference between performative inclusion, otherwise known as checking a box, and authentic inclusion, where everyone has a chance to thrive. Each session is thoughtfully designed to facilitate breakthroughs that are replicable, sustainable, and deeply relevant to the organization we are serving.
Just real solutions that are forward-leaning and designed to make your organization stronger in every facet.
Once people are willing to revisit their assumptions, new opportunities open up. Here is a snapshot of some of the benefits your organization may receive by working with us, individual results may vary
Real change occurs as meaningful awareness increases. The natural byproduct is an organizational culture that is firmly positioned to serve every stakeholder more effectively.
If you’re tired of settling for mediocrity, this program is for you.
Any organization that wants to move beyond surface-level inclusion and actually address the root of the problem.
Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
Real change occurs as meaningful awareness increases. The natural byproduct is an organizational culture that is firmly positioned to serve every stakeholder more effectively.
Peaces of Me Foundation is currently running a pilot program where organizations can obtain a complimentary 60-minute virtual session.
We expect these slots to fill quickly, so act fast.
Please fill out the following form to learn how The Tour can meet the specific needs of your organization. We look forward to serving you.
