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United Spinal’s ADA Corporate Challenge

You’re invited to take United Spinal’s Corporate Challenge to deepen your disability awareness, particularly for wheelchairs users living with mobility disabilities, that will enrich your business objectives and commitment to equity. Your colleagues in Inclusion & Diversity, HR, R&D, UX, and advocacy should all take part and please share the Corporate Challenge and the assets provided.

Take the Corporate Challenge by reviewing the 6 questions below and completing the response form. For your participation, we will send you send you a virtual Corporate Challenge medallion for you to share on social media that acknowledges your commitment to the disability community.

After completing the form, send us a photo or short video showcasing your company’s inclusive or accessible workplace. We will share select entries on our social media platforms! Details below.

"We Took the ADA corporate challenge" medallion

Take Our Corporate Challenge

1. Is my workplace accessible?

The accessible work environment is one where the needs of people with disabilities are specifically considered. This can include: programs, services, products, technology and the built environment.

Join your corporate peers to go beyond ADA compliance, where accessible workplace design is a win for all, not just employees who navigate from a wheelchair. Making our world accessible empowers people with disabilities to become active members of their communities and valued employees, and to pursue goals big and small.

For more info, email askus@unitedspinal.org and check out our Accessibility Services program for assistance in ensuring your facility is accessible to all with plan reviews, site inspections and architect/designer trainings.

2. Do my coworkers and I need disability etiquette training?

Sensitivity toward people with disabilities is not only in the spirit of the ADA, it makes good business sense. Practicing disability etiquette and awareness can advance your company’s overall thought leadership and further business objectives in HR and R&D for example. When supervisors and co-workers use disability etiquette, employees with disabilities feel more comfortable and work more productively. Practicing disability etiquette is an easy way to make people with disabilities feel welcome and helps employees more effectively interact with people with disabilities within the community.

United Spinal offers customized in-person and online “disability etiquette” training sessions at a reasonable cost for your company, organization, or institution. For more info, email askus@unitedspinal.org.

3. Is my company actively recruiting people with
disabilities?

United Spinal’s Pathways to Employment (PTE) program supports the pursuit of new job opportunities and a successful career for people with disabilities by providing the tools and support necessary to successfully overcome barriers to gainful employment.

Our PTE program, having unique access to a large talent pool of people living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D), including wheelchair users, provides job opportunities and trained peer mentors, resources, and professional support to facilitate return to work, including information about benefits and the transition to employment. Let’s work together to advance your disability hiring outcomes!

Contact us to post employment opportunities for United Spinal members, and employment options best suited for wheelchair users, particularly virtual opportunities – aross@unitedspinal.org.

4. Does my company have a disability focused Employee Resource Group?

Whether your company is seeking to develop or enrich your current disability focused employee resource group (ERG), we have beneficial resources that can boost disability awareness and etiquette in your corporate culture, that extends in to communities where you live and work.

United Spinal has access to over 100,000 wheelchair users, 50+ chapters, 180+ support groups, and 100+ rehabs and hospital partners nationwide––including 10 distinguished Spinal Cord Injury Model System Centers that support innovative projects and research in the field of SCI. Through our extensive national programs and networks, we can assist with valuable insight on employee resources that focus on serving people with disabilities.

United Spinal Resources for your Abilities ERG:

  • Connect with a local United Spinal chapter to invite them for a lunch and learn
  • Distribute, post, and share with your ERG stakeholders and fellow team members our free disability focused publications
  • Join United Spinal’s Free Membership to have every advantage for wellness and independence
  • Use our virtual Resource Center to get personalized support with benefits and guidance on many issues impacting your colleagues living with disabilities including veteran expertise and caregivers
  • Follow New Mobility Magazine, free with United Spinal membership, a premier lifestyle publication for wheelchair users

To learn more about our ERG resources and ways to engage with our community, contact Scott Lavery, Scott Lavery, scott.lavery@unitedspinal.org.

5. Are my company’s technology, products and services accessible to employees and customers with disabilities?

United Spinal’s Tech Access Initiative ensures the consumer voice of the mobility disability community is included in product design and innovation. The program provides for a first of its kind Tech Access Group (TAG) of high-level testers and influencers living with quad and paraplegia. We consistently see the value of including the mobility disability community (wheelchair users) in innovation forums to avoid costly delays and in fostering universal design.

The TAG’s engagement with R&D, UX, and marketing leads informs universal design and a deeper dive into the targeted consumer group of wheelchair users through surveying, product testing and focus group opportunities.

TAG will have input to develop use cases for emerging technologies like AI and advancing digital skills-building for consumers and patients with mobility impairments.

To engage with the TAG, please contact AJ Assaadi, Sr. Director, Development at aassaadi@unitedspinal.org.

6. How can I learn more about the concerns of wheelchair users and people living with spinal cord injuries
and disorders (SCI/D)?

Follow United Spinal Association on Social Media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
Vimeo

Follow or Read New Mobility Magazine
A colorful, award-winning lifestyle magazine, New Mobility encourages the integration of active wheelchair users into mainstream society with articles on health, advocacy, travel, employment, relationships, recreation, media, products and more. Ninety percent of its writers live with disabilities, creating a vibrant culture of disability journalism, philosophy and advocacy within each monthly edition.

Attend Our Events
United Spinal hosts virtual and in-person events throughout the year. Visit our events page!

Visit our virtual Resource Center
United Spinal’s Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center provides valuable information on living with spinal cord injuries and disorders, as well as an extensive library of knowledge books on a variety of disability-related topics. The Resource Center can provide you and your colleagues with disabilities, and those who serve as caregivers, more information and resources to support a healthy and independent lifestyle.

Let Us Know You Took Corporate Challenge

Please fill out the quick form below to log your participation!

We will acknowledge your commitment to the disability community through our social media channels, send you a virtual Corporate Challenge medallion, and follow up with important resources to share with your diversity and inclusion leads! Hashtag: #ADAChallenge #UnitedSpinal

Show Off Your Accessible and Inclusive Workplace

Position Your Company as an Accessibility Leader

Send us a photo or short video that shows how your company is inclusive and accessible for people with mobility disabilities so we can socialize for others to follow your lead!

Click here to submit your company’s photo or video.

Previous video submission provided by Sunrise Medical.

Congratulations to the following companies for completing the ADA Corporate Challenge: