Access New Marketing Opportunities

Nearly 30% of the 70 million American families have at least one family member with a disability. The disability market, which includes customers with disabilities and their extended networks (family members, friends, colleagues, support service providers, etc.), represents a trillion dollar market segment. Like other market segments, they purchase products and services from companies that best understand and meet their needs. This marketing opportunity spans beyond the disability market. A recent pollby the University of Massachusetts found that 87% of Americans surveyed say they prefer to patronize businesses that hire people with disabilities.

Capitalizing on New Market Opportunities

• According to Market Research.com, 54 million Americans with disabilities represent the third largest market segment behind Baby Boomers and the mature market, placing them ahead of Hispanics, African Americans, Gen X, teens, and Asian Americans.
• Of people with disabilities:
• 73% are heads of households
• 48% are principal shoppers
• 58% own their own homes
• There are approximately 24 million disabled veterans, including the 180,000 service members returning from the war on terrorism.

Employers recognize that mirroring the market attracts a wider customer base and increases market share. So what better way to engage this significant market segment than through the insight, talents and skills of employees with disabilities? A diverse workforce can lead to an increased market share, whereas lack of diversity can lead to a reduced market share. When you recruit and retain employees with disabilities, you increase your opportunity to gain a lasting customer base, the disability market.

Developing New Products and Services

Employees with disabilities are important team members in designing and developing new products and services with market viability. Through their experiences, perspectives, and needs, employees with disabilities bring innovative ideas to design new products and to identify new market opportunities for existing products and services.

Employees with disabilities contribute to the creativity of an organization in developing products and services with a broad customer appeal. They bring a perspective about how customers with disabilities perceive and interact with your products, which can be valuable in improving or identifying new features (e.g., cell phone and computer features), and help identify new products (e.g., the Segway).