July 8, 2015
The Marketing Anthropology Project (MAP), a program of the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center today announced that it commissioned Cygnal to conduct a national survey in early May about consumer attitudes on disability. Consumers whose buying decisions were mostly likely to be influenced by a business’ practices toward individuals with disabilities were interviewed to gather these findings.
“Fortune 1000 companies have taken great strides to better understand the various niche markets that exist in the United States, with one exception: the disability market,” said Brandon M. Macsata, NBDC General Consultant. “Yet the disability market represents the third largest market in the country, so it is incumbent upon NBDC to dive into consumers’ thinking relating to individuals with disabilities.”
MAP is the first-of-its-kind in the disability market, offering a platform for businesses to understand better the pockets of the global disability culture that influence consumer attitudes.
KEY FINDINGS:
• Half of the respondents either themselves had or had a family member with an impairment that may be
physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental, or some combination of these.
• A majority of consumers (82%) preferred to shop mostly or completely at a physical location. Only 15%
choose to shop mostly or completely online.
• Most consumers (60%) were unaware individuals with disabilities represent one of the fastest growing
consumer segments in the U.S.
• The same percentage (60%) agrees, and less than 27% disagree, that businesses currently ignore or
overlook potential and current customers with disabilities.
• Only half of the respondents recalled recently seeing any form of advertising that included individuals with
disabilities.
• For those that have seen or heard about businesses actively marketing to individuals with disabilities, 20%
said they saw or heard this via television news. Most consumers (60%) haven’t heard about businesses
marketing specifically to individuals with disabilities.
• A large majority of consumers (over 86%) would be more likely to support a business that includes people
with disabilities in its online, print and/or television advertisements.
• Nearly all consumers (91%) would be more likely to support a business that takes steps to ensure easy
access for people with disabilities at their physical locations and website.
Said Cory Brown, Cygnal’s Vice-President for Data & Strategy: “Americans want to see businesses embrace and empower those with disabilities. The findings of our survey for NBDC show that disability touches the majority of those in our country, and increased awareness of this important consumer segment is key to both corporate and individual growth.”
The telephone survey was conducted May 4-8, 2015 among 489 U.S. consumers, with a margin of error of +/- 4.43%. Cygnal, using live operator phone technology, conducted all interviews. Landline interviews constituted 79% of the calls, while 21% were conducted by cell phone.
To learn more about Cygnal, please visit http://www.cygn.al.
For more information about the national survey or NBDC corporate partnership opportunities, contact Brandon M. Macsata by phone at 516.465.1596 or email at bmacsata@viscardicenter.org.
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About the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center: NBDC is an employer organization and comprehensive resource for disability best practices. Its corporate partners are predominantly Fortune 1000 companies and government employers committed to disability diversity. By becoming a NBDC Corporate Partner, companies can proactively strengthen and diversify their workforce, as well as comply with the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal regulations. NBDC can also assist companies in marketing to the 56.7 million Americans with disabilities, as well as gain greater insight into the economic contributions that accessible information and communication technology provides to companies.
Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates, The Viscardi Center provides Pre-K through High School education, school-to-work transition services, vocational training, career counseling and placement, assistive technology and workforce diversification assistance to children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and businesses. A global leader, it employs more than 300 professionals, including experts in education, human resources and technology. Learn more at viscardicenter.org.