5 Things / disability pride
I don't personally know a lot about disability inclusion. But it's Disability Pride month, and I'm committing to learning more. I particularly enjoy learning about products that are designed to be more inclusive of people with disabilities -- I like solutions.
This week I learned that, beginning in January, Kellogg's cereal boxes will feature a technology that allows for blind and visually impaired people to have the small print on the boxes read aloud to them via a smartphone app. Kellogg's becomes the first company in the world to use this technology on packaging (it's been traditionally used in transit systems). This matters because these products will now be inclusive of millions of consumers (2 million in the UK alone, where the technology was successfully beta-tested).
When I read stories like that, I realize just yet another way I have privilege, and get fired up to use it, to pay it forward. I never, ever have to think about how I'm going to read the side of a cereal box.
Here are some other good vibes I found this week:
Illinois (where I live) is the first state in the country to require teaching of Asian-American history in public schools. This matters because too often, Asian struggles have been ignored and Asian contributions have been overlooked. This is a great precedent. No one likes to feel invisible.
I love Lizzo and love her even more now that she showed allyship in action. Lizzo corrected a paparazzi who misgendered Demi Lovato. Lizzo simply said, "Their team. Demi goes by they." Showing up as an ally doesn't have to mean this giant declaration - it can be a simple, quick statement. This matters because so many people want to be allies but don't know exactly how to do it. Lizzo shows a way.
Best Buy committed to spending $1.2 billion with diverse suppliers (including marketing) by 2025. This matters because supplier diversity initiatives are a powerful way to create more equity. Additionally, by making the commitment public, they can expect to be held accountable for progress.
Nordstrom signed a 10 year commitment with the 15 Percent Pledge to dedicate 15% of its shelf space to Black founders. It's the first retailer to do so. The 15 Percent Pledge has generated $15 billion in revenue for Black founders in the past year. This matters because these initiatives are a form of racial justice and can reduce the racial wealth gap.
Image by Audi Nissen